The growth of demand has been the key factor influencing the positive trend in the global steel market in recent years, Fastmarkets research manager Alistair Ramsay said earlier this month at the 22nd Middle East Iron and Steel Conference in Dubai.Over the past decade global steel consumption increased by total of 35%, growing by around 3% annually. In 2018, global consumption is expected to rise...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices were little changed on Monday December 24 in sparse trading, with participants bearish on the outlook for prices over the coming days, source told Fastmarkets MB.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,790-3,810 yuan ($549-552) per tonne, down 10-20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,690-3,700 yuan per tonne, unchangedPrices in Shanghai dipped following...Read More
Import prices for steel slab in Southeast Asia and East Asia fell during the past week due to lower indicative offers and bids amid sustained bearish sentiment, although no transactions were reported.Fastmarkets MB's weekly import price assessment for slab in Southeast Asia and East Asia was $430-440 per tonne cfr on Monday December 24, down $15 per tonne from a week earlier.No new deals were hear...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices were mixed on Monday December 24, with prices in the east of the country down amid lower futures and billet prices, but those in the north flat Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,780-3,820 yuan ($547-553) per tonne, down 20 yuan per tonne Northern China (Beijing): 3,620-3,650 yuan per tonne, unchangedBillet prices dropped over the past weekend due to weak...Read More
The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for hot-rolled coil, cold-rolled coil, hot-dipped galvanized coil, pre-painted galvanized iron, steel plate, steel sheet and other flat steel products. Latest transactions: hot-rolled coilHot-rolled coilEast China, domestic,...Read More
The Vietnam HRC import market maintained its downward trend in the past week on thin spot trade.Fastmarkets MB's weekly import price assessment for HRC in Southeast Asia - which mainly looks at Chinese 2-3mm SAE1006 HRC and equivalent grades sold into Vietnam - was $470-480 per tonne cfr for the week ending Monday December 24, down from $480-490 per tonne cfr in the preceding week.There were negot...Read More
Anglo American has raised the 2019 production guidance for its Minas Rio operations in Brazil to 18-20 million wet metric tonnes of iron ore.The production guidance has increased due to the regulatory approval related to the Step-3 license area, which allows the company more flexibility in its operations and access to higher...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. ...Read More
Physical iron ore prices dipped on Monday December 24 following declines in China's steel and futures markets.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $71.58 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.66 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $71.41 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.66 per tonne. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $73.52 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.64 per tonne. MB 58% Fe Premium Index: $63.67 p...Read More
Prices in the seaborne coking coal spot market fell on Monday December 24 following a lower-priced transaction ahead of the Christmas break.A cargo of a top Australian brand was traded at $222 per tonne fob Australia during the day, Fastmarkets heard. A cargo of a similar brand had changed hands at $230 per tonne fob Australia more than a week ago.In the pulverized coal injection (PCI), a car...Read More
Seaborne iron ore concentrate and pellet prices advanced in the week ended December 21 amid a general pickup in markets of the steelmaking raw material.ConcentratesFastmarkets' weekly MB 66% Fe Iron Ore Concentrate Index stood at $90.27 per tonne cfr China last Friday, up by $2.66 per tonne from December 14.The daily MB 65% Fe Iron Ore Index averaged $85.94 per tonne cfr China last week, compared...Read More
China's ferrous futures started the trading week on Monday December 24 on a positive note, with the coking coal and coke contracts leading prices higher.Futures closing prices - morning session Shanghai Futures Exchange May rebar: 3,454 yuan ($500) per tonne, up 6 yuan per tonne May hot rolled coil: 3,429 yuan per tonne, up 3 yuan per tonne Dalian Commodity Exchange May iron ore: 489 yuan per tonn...Read More
There was general weakness across the base metals traded on the Shanghai Futures Exchange during Asian morning trading on Monday December 24, with prices broadly down amid bearishness stemming from a challenging macro environment."In general, the worldwide equities and crude oil markets have fallen drastically and the economy showed a more intensified downturn, currently it's still the bearish sen...Read More
Trading activity in the seaborne manganese ore market continued to berelatively active due to the lower offer prices in the week ended on Friday December 21. China's manganese market was mostly stable this week, with prices somewhat rangebound on active trading activity, due to producers' lower offers two weeks prior.Fastmarkets' 37% manganese ore index, fob Port Elizabeth, rose by 6 cents to $5.5...Read More
The Chinese ferro-silicon market started to decline in the week ended Friday December 21, with market participants holding a bearish outlook due to slow demand, while the European price begins to slide, tracking the Chinese market down. Domestic Chinese ferro-silicon trading started to slide this week on weak demand, market participants said. Fastmarkets MB Chinese ferro-silicon ex-works price, ba...Read More
Prices for grade-II antimony softened in Europe in the pricing week ended Friday December 21 amid a lack of buying appetite, while those for trioxide material were unchanged. In China, grade-II antimony prices were unchanged despite limited trading activity.Chinese market flat amid thin trading activityFastmarkets assessed the price for MMTA standard grade-II antimony, delivered duty-paid, in Chin...Read More
The European Union Council of Ministers has approved 2019 duty-free quotas for a range of aluminium imports whose production within the EU is insufficient to meet demand.These quotas will come into force on January 1, 2019, and will remain in place until December 31 of the same year. They include imports of 2,000 tonnes...Read More
Lynette Zang has held the position of Chief Market Analyst at ITM Trading since 2002. Ms. Zang has been in the markets on some level since 1964. Her mission is to convert financial noise into understandable language. She has been a banker, a stock broker and studied world currencies since 1987. She believes strongly that we need to be as independent as possible and at the same time, we need to com...Read More
Gregory Mannarino started his financial career working for the securities and trading arm of the now defunct Bear Stearns before the dot-com bubble. He is an active trader of the capital markets and has published several books pertaining to finance, global economics, and equity trading; His most recent book is titled Ultimate Guide To Money and The Markets (free ebook). Gregory currently hosts a b...Read More