SHANGHAI, Mar 23 (SMM) – Base metals fell across the board as trade tensions intensified. SHFE nickel led a slump of 3%, tin lost close to 2% and copper fell 1.7%. Lead and aluminium slid over 1%, while zinc dipped.The ferrous complex tumbled as rebar declined over 7%, iron ore fell 6% and hot-rolled coil lost 5%. Coke dropped close to 6%, while coking coal slid over 4%.Copper: SHFE copper s...Read More

U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were added 4 points in pre-opening trade on news that the Senate passed a $1.3 trillion spending bill.World equity markets were weaker overnight. Weakest was the Nikkei Average, down 4.51%.Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of February Durable Goods Orders report at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus was an increase...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 23 (SMM) – Demand for nonferrous metals will surge as new energy vehicles are booming in China, said Lei Hongjun, chief engineer of the Yangtse Automobile Group. This is because new energy cars will utilise more metals, especially copper and aluminium, than traditional cars, he explained.Rising sales and output of electric cars is the biggest boost in demand for nonfe...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 23 (SMM) – Demand for nonferrous metals will surge as new energy vehicles are booming in China, said Lei Hongjun, chief engineer of the Yangtse Automobile Group. This is because new energy cars will utilise more metals, especially copper and aluminium, than traditional cars, he explained.Rising sales and output of electric cars is the biggest boost in demand for nonfe...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 23 (SMM) – Demand for nonferrous metals will surge as new energy vehicles are booming in China, said Lei Hongjun, chief engineer of the Yangtse Automobile Group. This is because new energy cars will utilise more metals, especially copper and aluminium, than traditional cars, he explained.Rising sales and output of electric cars is the biggest boost in demand for nonfe...Read More

India's Tata Steel is another step closer toward buying its insolvent counterpart Bhushan Steel after the latter's committee of creditors accepted its bid.Tata Steel, on Friday March 23, said that the committee had declared it the "successful resolution applicant" a day earlier, which paves the way for the acquisition, subject to necessary regulatory approvals.It has accepted the letter of intent...Read More

Listen to this podcast on our site by clicking here or subscribe on iTunes here.Many retirees have their life savings socked away in mutual funds or ETFs, but is this always the best option for generating income?This time on Financial Sense' Lifetime Income Series, Jim Puplava takes a look at different options for retirees to maximize returns, protect their accumulated assets, and best navigate th...Read More

Pacific Energy (ASX: PEA) went into a trading halt Thursday and subsequently announced the deal to buy Leon Hodges' CPG. The two power-set providers had been "healthy competitors for over two decades", Pacific managing director James Cullen said.Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 23 (SMM) – Trading in China's zinc spot market was flat on Friday March 23 as sellers destocked actively while downstream consumers mostly purchased as needed, SMM learned. In the Shanghai market, 0# zinc traded at 24,670-24,780 yuan/mt. The SHFE 1804 contract rebounded before closing and both the 0# common brand and Shuangyan brand traded flat to a premium o...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 23 (SMM) – This is a roundup of global macroeconomic news last night and what is expected today.Last nightAs trade tensions between the US and China intensified overnight, the US dollar fell and hovered at 89.7.Most base metals closed lower given the simmering trade war. SHFE nickel slipped over 2%, copper dropped 1%. LME nickel slumped 2.6%, and copper, lead, zi...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 23 (SMM) – China’s market for air conditioners is likely to maintain its upward momentum given potential demand, stable exports and leadership in manufacturing, said He Jinming, vice Chief Manager at ChinaIOL and chief manager at the Appliance Department.The market for air conditioner has seen robust growth in the last few years. Sales in China exceeded 80...Read More

The uncertainty created by the announcement of import tariffs under Section 232 in the United States kept Turkish steel mills out of the deep-sea scrap markets during the working week from Monday March 19 to Friday March 23, although strong demand in the US domestic market kept sentiment positive.But the poor demand for material sent Taiwanese import prices downward.Turkey importsThe Turkish steel...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 23 (SMM) – This is a roundup of global macroeconomic news last night and what is expected today.Last nightAs trade tensions between the US and China intensified overnight, the US dollar fell and hovered at 89.7.Most base metals closed lower given the simmering trade war. SHFE nickel slipped over 2%, copper dropped 1%. LME nickel slumped 2.6%, and copper, lead, zi...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 23 (SMM) –Copper: As prospects of a trade war loomed, prices for copper are likely to edge down in the near future with pressure from short bets. We see LME copper trading at $6,630-6,700/mt, and SHFE copper at 50,000-50,400 yuan/mt today. Spot discounts are seen at 200-120 yuan/mt as consumers are eager to restock.Aluminium: Increasing US trade protectionism dragged alumi...Read More

Prices for Brazil-origin steel slab remained unchanged this week, but the market expects there to be increases after the country was temporarily exempted from tariffs related to the Section 232 investigation on steel imports in the United States.Metal Bulletin's weekly assessment of Brazil's slab export prices was $580-590 per tonne fob on Friday March 23, stable from the previous week.Most Brazil...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 23 (SMM) – Prices of copper scrap are likely to rise as China’s ban on scrap import will shrink supplies in the market, said Li Shilong, vice president at the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association, Secondary Metals Branch and director at the China Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance for Resources Recycling Industry (CIAR).Effective from the end of 2018, t...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 23 (SMM) –Copper: As prospects of a trade war loomed, prices for copper are likely to edge down in the near future with pressure from short bets. We see LME copper trading at $6,630-6,700/mt, and SHFE copper at 50,000-50,400 yuan/mt today. Spot discounts are seen at 200-120 yuan/mt as consumers are eager to restock.Aluminium: Increasing US trade protectionism dragged alumi...Read More

Crises can take numerous forms for miners, from earthquakes and social unrest to disease outbreaks and the breakdown of infrastructure such as dams or power circuits, to name just a few.When mining companies lack a disciplined approach for managing crises, the consequences can prove devastating. Workers' safety and lives may be threatened. A company can lose its licence to operate at a particular...Read More

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange closed the week in negative territory on Friday March 23, with zinc the only metal to increase by the close. Nickel prices were the worst affected, losing $240 per tonne at the close - despite a 10,278 tonne cancellation in Johor.Yesterday, President Donald Trump signed off on import tariffs for Chinese products - this triggered further worries of a...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 23 (SMM) – The growth rate of global copper ore output is expected to rise back to 3.3% in 2018, said SMM senior analyst Ye Jianhua. Given copper ore supplies in 2017 and price increases, the supply of copper ore in unlikely to be significantly affected in 2018, even as some 40 salary negotiations would occur at overseas miners this year.China's demand for overseas ore...Read More