The Zambian government has decided to go ahead with the application of a new import duty on copper concentrates this month despite strong opposition from the country's copper producers.The producers told Fastmarkets on Thursday January 3 that they will be compelled to slash output and to lay off mine workers as a result of the new duty."No announcement has been officially issued by the government....Read More

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mixed during morning trading on Thursday January 3, with the moderate strength in the US dollar index against a backdrop of low LME stocks keeping trading ranges narrow.Despite a decade-low in LME inventory, zinc's three-month price continues face persistent downward pressure and is trading below its nearby $2,400-per-tonne threshold. The m...Read More

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday January 3 that are worth another look.Fastmarkets worked to empower its customers in 2018 - a year when they had to navigate metal markets in which fundamentals were often tightening even as greater political restraints were placed on trade than for many years. A quick review of the key developments also indicate our...Read More

World Steel Dynamics' much-discussed June 2018 prediction that US domestic hot-rolled coil prices would plunge $200 per tonne by the end of the year proved to be uncannily correct.Market weakness reflected in the final few business days of December made the difference, according to Fastmarkets AMM's daily US Midwest hot-rolled coil index.At the Steel Success Strategies XXXIII conference on Tuesday...Read More

Iranian export billet and slab prices continued their downtrend as producers cut prices again to attract customers.Customer interest in Iranian billet was reduced due to the additional risk involved in trading with the country amid sanctions imposed by the United States last August.Consumer buying activity also was reduced because of the traditional slowdown...Read More

Steel billet import prices into Egypt fell this week, while local rebar prices remained unchanged, sources said on Thursday January 3.Fastmarkets MB's weekly price assessment for steel billet imported into Egypt was $435-440 per tonne cfr on Thursday, falling from $440-445...Read More

Turkish rebar and wire rod export markets have remained silent due to weak demand and the holiday periods, while the prices were falling further, sources said on Thursday January 3.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for rebar exports out of Turkey was $445-455 per tonne fob on actual weight basis on January 3, down from $450-460 per tonne on December 27 last week.Domestic mills...Read More

Fastmarkets worked to empower its customers in 2018 - a year when they had to navigate metal markets in which fundamentals were often tightening even as greater political restraints were placed on trade than for many years.Here's a quick review of the key developments, which also indicate our direction for 2019:We consulted in detail with the industry to meet its requirements for greater transpare...Read More

The stainless steel scrap market in the United States did not enter 2019 with an optimistic view for the new year, sources told Fastmarkets AMM."Without an influx of some unexpected good news, it looks like we will be stuck with current conditions for a while," one dealer source said."This market is sloppy at best as nickel continues to slide, molybdenum is beginning to fall, scrap demand at the c...Read More

The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for iron ore, pig iron, direct-reduced iron and other steelmaking raw materials. Latest transaction: iron oreIron oreBHP, private tender, 240,000 tonnes of...Read More

Physical iron ore prices rose on Thursday January 3 following gains in the futures and swaps markets.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $72.62 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.55 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $72.45 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.55 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $74.12 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $0.12 per tonne. MB 58% Fe Premium Index: $64.14 per tonne cfr Qi...Read More

Seaborne coking coal prices remain under pressure amid muted trading activity and lower offers, market sources said on Thursday January 3.A cargo of premium mid-vol coking coal in the branded segment on online trading platform Global Coal was offered at $209 per tonne fob Australia, sources said during the day. This compares with an offer of $213 per tonne fob Australia in the same segment made ju...Read More

China's hot-rolled coil prices were largely stable on Thursday January 3 on moderate trading activity, sources told Fastmarkets MB.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,640-3,650 yuan ($530-532) per tonne, down 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,550-3,570 yuan per tonne, widening downward by 10 yuan per tonnePrices were little changed during the day, with traders describing trading activit...Read More

Price variations between the cobalt markets in China and internationally reached all-time highs in 2018 when China reacted to rising volumes of cobalt supply from which the overseas metal markets were somewhat protected.At times, wide differentials created appealing theoretical arbitrage opportunities for Chinese exporters, but it was the sentiment and outlook of overseas buyers that ultimate...Read More

Ningxia Tianyuan, the world's largest manganese flake producer, is still not operating at its full 800,000 tonne per year capacity, sources told Fastmarkets MB. The company was expected to resume full production in December, following seven months of lower output. The company is currently operating at a reduced capacity of 1,600 tonnes per day, sources at the company said. Their full daily...Read More

Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mixed this morning, Thursday January 3, with zinc, aluminium and lead up by between 0.4% and 0.7%, copper up by 0.1% at $5,880 per tonne, and nickel and tin lower by 0.8% and 0.2% respectively.Volume across the complex has been high with 11,375 lots traded as at 06.58am London time.Wednesday's trading saw three-month LME base metals...Read More

Trade log for cobalt sulfate in China including transactions, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets MB. Unless otherwise stated, all prices are yuan per tonne on an ex-works basis.The cobalt sulfate, Co 20.5% min, China ex-works, adjustment to the low-grade cobalt low-end price at Co 20.5% basis is on a $ per lb basis. Fastmarkets MB prices Click here for Fastmarket MB's price assessment for cob...Read More

China's domestic stainless steel prices held steady over the past week amid growing pessimism about the market in January.Fastmarkets MB's price assessment for benchmark 304 stainless cold-rolled coil in the major market of Wuxi was 14,200-14,800 yuan ($2,068-2,156) per tonne including value-added tax for the week ended Wednesday January 2, unchanged from a week earlier.Transactions were sparse ov...Read More

Import prices for stainless steel in East Asia were little changed over the past week, with trading activity yet to pick up following the year-end holiday season.Fastmarkets MB's import price assessment for 304 stainless 2mm trimmed cold-rolled coil in East Asia was $1,890-1,950 per tonne cif for the week ended Wednesday January 2, down $10 per tonne from a week earlier.Fastmarkets MB's import pri...Read More

Almaden Minerals (TSX: AMM; NYSE: AAU) has tabled a feasibility study for its Ixtaca gold-silver project in Puebla State, Mexico, that reduces the mine plan's footprint by shifting to dry stack tailings and improves milling grade through ore sorting.The company originally used a conventional tailings dam in its 2017 prefeasibility study. Since then, it's studied mixing waste and tailings to elimin...Read More