Car production in Brazil increased by 6.2% year-on-year in February 2018, led by higher sales to both the domestic and export markets,Output reached 213,500 units, compared with 201,100 vehicles a year earlier, according to figures released by national automobile association Anfavea on Tuesday March 6."Sales are on the rise and February's daily sales average was higher than in January, even...Read More
Demand for flat steel will remain strong in Turkey through March and price increases are expected to continue because producers are fully booked until late May, market participants told Metal Bulletin this week. "Producers are fully booked until mid-May, so they have increased their prices. And end-user demand is okay, so prices have some more room to rise," one trader said on March 2. "...Read More
RAPAPORT... Rough diamond trading was robust in February, with De Beers notching $555 million in sales during the month. Prices remained strong, fueling concern among sightholders that their profit margins were tightening."We had a good few months, and polished prices have increased. That has encouraged the mining companies to raise their rough prices," a Mumbai-based supplier said at last we...Read More
China's major mills continued to raise their crude steel output rates in mid-February, which also led to an increase in inventory levels amid the Chinese New Year celebrations in the country.Member mills of the China Iron & Steel Association (Cisa) produced crude steel at an average rate of 1.7996 million tonnes per day during the second 10 days of February, up 14,900...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 6 (SMM) – The purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for China’s copper downstream industries is expected to be 54.61 in March, according to SMM survey. This would compare with 38.43 in February. For editorial queries, please contact Daisy Tseng at daisy@smm.cn For more information on how to access our research reports, please email service.en@smm.cnRead More
(IDEX Online News) - There was a moderate decline in the IDEX polished diamond price index during February. Diamond Prices Show Multi-Month Decline Polished diamond prices have moved in a downward direction for the past 18 months. Outlook The global diamond centers reported solid activity overall, with industry restocking after a successful holiday sales season, and...Read More
RAPAPORT... Lucapa Diamond Company garnered $1.7 million at its secondrough sale of 2018, achieving an average price of $804 per carat. The miner sold 2,072 carats at the tender, it said in arecent statement. The diamonds are from the company's Lulo alluvial mine inAngola. The largest stone Lucapa sold weighed 44 carats. The company alsooffered a 1.9-carat vivid pink diamond. Lucapa's first tender...Read More
(IDEX Online) - ALROSA said that its total diamond reserves, taking into account the explored deposits under the National Reserves Committee standards, increased by 57.8 million carats during the year (excluding the depletion of reserves) to 1,182 million carats. In 2017, ALROSA spent a total of almost RUB 8 billion on prospecting and onsite exploration. At the same time, the company launc...Read More
The three-month copper price rebounded over $7,000 per tonne for the first time this month at the close on Tuesday March 6, with the metal undergoing a short-covering rally. "Given the drop in open interest so far this week, LME copper seems to be experiencing a short-covering rally. But fresh buying needs to emerge to make the LME copper strength sustainable," Boris Mikanikrezai, Metal Bulletin a...Read More
(IDEX Online) - De Beers sold rough diamonds with a provisional value of $555 million, following confirmed sales of $672 million in the first sales cycle (Global Sightholder Sales and Auction Sales) of 2018 compared with a provisional figure of $665 million. Bruce Cleaver, CEO, De Beers Group, said: "The second sales cycle of the year saw the continuation of good rough diamond demand. This...Read More
The changing dynamics of bauxite and alumina markets have demanded an evolution in the means of pricing them. The alumina market - and the way it is priced - has transitioned over the past 10 years. Fixed-price, long-term contracts, agreed as a percentage of the aluminium price on the London Metal Exchange, have instead transformed into contracts tied to third-party reference prices or indices, in...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Speaking at an industry seminar in Hong Kong, CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri has urged both government authorities and jewelry and gemstone associations to incorporate the standards and nomenclature contained in the CIBJO Blue Books into their respective national guidelines, as a measure designed to facilitate more transparent and efficient international trade. The CIBJO...Read More
Turkish steel producers have continued to book deep-sea scrap for April amid strong demand for their finished steel products, sources said on Tuesday March 6.Imported scrap prices into Turkey have risen further with the recent bookings, sources told Metal Bulletin.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked a Baltic Sea cargo, comprising 20,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $374.75 per tonne and...Read More
(IDEX Online) - The International Tender Center (ITC) inaugurated by the Israel Diamond Exchange in February 2017 has succeeded beyond expectations during its first year of activity, the Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) said. Due to this success, the bourse has announced that the center will be expanded later this year to encompass a venue for live auctions. ITC, a state-o...Read More
Weaker...ACCESS RESTRICTEDTo read the rest of this analysis please take a free sample or subscribeFREE SampleReceive a free sample of market analysis and price forecasts.Free SampleSUBSCRIBEReceive unlimited access to all current and archive content going back to 2008 including downloadable pricing data and forecasts.Plus download the latest issue as soon as it’s published.Sub...Read More
Local and imported rebar prices in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia remained unchanged this week although the price of steel billet imports into the UAE increased, sources told Metal Bulletin on Tuesday March 6. Demand for locally produced rebar in the UAE was still strong. Domestic rebar The major rebar producers in the UAE rolled over their prices for March and April production las...Read More
LME prices slip as sentiment remains...ACCESS RESTRICTEDTo read the rest of this analysis please take a free sample or subscribeFREE SampleReceive a free sample of market analysis and price forecasts.Free SampleSUBSCRIBEReceive unlimited access to all current and archive content going back to 2008 including downloadable pricing data and forecasts.Plus download the latest issue as s...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 6 (SMM) – Nonferrous metals futures saw mixed trading on Tuesday March 6 as SHFE copper, aluminium and nickel edged up, while SHFE zinc lost over 2%. Lead and tin both fell close to 1%.The ferrous complex continued to weaken with iron ore slipping close to 2%. Coke and hot-rolled coil were down almost 1%, while rebar and coking coal edged down slightly.Copper: SHFE copper touch...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 6 (SMM) – Nonferrous metals futures saw mixed trading on Tuesday March 6 as SHFE copper, aluminium and nickel edged up, while SHFE zinc lost over 2%. Lead and tin both fell close to 1%.The ferrous complex continued to weaken with iron ore slipping close to 2%. Coke and hot-rolled coil were down almost 1%, while rebar and coking coal edged down slightly.Copper: SHFE copper touch...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 6 (SMM) – Nonferrous metals futures saw mixed trading on Tuesday March 6 as SHFE copper, aluminium and nickel edged up, while SHFE zinc lost over 2%. Lead and tin both fell close to 1%.The ferrous complex continued to weaken with iron ore slipping close to 2%. Coke and hot-rolled coil were down almost 1%, while rebar and coking coal edged down slightly.Copper: SHFE copper touch...Read More