Rwanda has allowed some mines and exporters in the country to resume operations starting from Tuesday April 28, sources told Fastmarkets. Five of the 19 export organizations in the country in eastern Central Africa will be allowed to ship out material from today and 20 mines - including those producing tantalum, tungsten and tin - will be allowed to slowly resume operations. Ta...Read More
Domestic hot-rolled coil prices in Northern Europe moved down slightly day on day due to low demand, sources told Fastmarkets in Tuesday April 28.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, was ?,?440.00 ($476.70) per tonne on Tuesday April 28, down by ?,?1 per tonne from ?,?441.00 per tonne on April 27.Tuesday's index was calculated based on official offers hear...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday April 28 that are worth another look.Swedish special steel producer Ovako has used hydrogen to heat steel before rolling for the first time, the company announced on April 28.Over the past month, Chinese importers have been keen to buy overseas copper scrap at more competitive prices, with scrap production shrunk by the effects of...Read More
The impact of Covid-19 is undeniably huge. It continues to make its presence felt across all commodity markets, including the ferrous supply chain, from raw materials down to finished steel products. One significant impact that can be tracked closely through spot pricing is the increasing disarray in price correlations between various segments of the ferrous supply chain after the Covid-19 pandemi...Read More
Upside momentum in London Metal Exchange base metals prices was capped during the afternoon session on Tuesday April 28 while pervading uncertainty across the complex left three-month prices mixed at the close. Some analysts suggested participants were waiting on the sidelines in anticipation of macro developments from virus-hit global economies including the United States, before committing to fu...Read More
Seaborne iron ore market prices fell on Tuesday April 28, following the momentum in the iron ore futures curve on the Dalian Commodity Exchange. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $82.20 per tonne, down $1.28 per tonne. 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $84.60 per tonne, down $0.90 per tonne. 58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $71.97 per tonne, down $0.50 per t...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange consolidated during morning trading on Tuesday April 28, characterized by thin volumes and sideways trading, while a 7,300-tonne fresh cancellation from Asian locations bolstered copper's price incline. The LME three-month copper price was recently at $5,188 per tonne, inching up by 0.1% from an intra-morning low of $5,170 per tonne. Trading turnover...Read More
Ferro-alloys prices have generally retreated over the past month, with demand concerns gaining in prominence.The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Ferro-alloy pricing trends have generally diverged ove the past month, depending on the security of the supply-side position of the market. With most supply concerns fading with the resumption of industrial activity i...Read More
Upside momentum in London Metal Exchange base metals prices was capped during the afternoon session on Tuesday April 28 while pervading uncertainty across the complex left three-month prices mixed at the close. Some analysts suggested participants were waiting on the sidelines in anticipation of macro developments from virus-hit global economies including the United States, before committing to fu...Read More
Swedish mining company Boliden increased its concentrate stocks of zinc, copper and lead during the first quarter of 2020 to ensure supplies of raw materials for its smelters amid the growing market uncertainty created by the Covid-19 pandemic."The company is planning for normal business operations during the coming quarters," Boliden said in its interim report for the January-March quarter on Tue...Read More
French metals and ore producer Eramet reported an 11% drop in revenues in the first three months of 2020 because of lower steel demand globally, with increased uncertainty about the future due to the Covid-19 pandemic.Eramet's manganese business reported sales down by 17% in January-March to ?,?359 million ($389 million), due to falling steel demand and a build-up of manganese ore at Chinese ports...Read More
Zambia is highly unlikely to impose restrictions on the mining sector during the Covid-19 pandemic because current practices are working very well, a senior executive at First Quantum said. Hannes Meyer, the company's chief financial officer, said Zambia's population demographics have also aided the limited spread of the virus in the copper-rich country. "I don't think for one minute that we will...Read More
Over the past month, Chinese importers have been keen to buy overseas copper scrap at more competitive prices, with scrap production shrunk by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as disruptions in the supply of substitute copper products from Africa."Buy, buy, buy whatever copper scrap, ingots, blister you see on the market. This is what I have been told," a major Chinese copper smelter...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange consolidated during morning trading on Tuesday April 28, characterized by thin volumes and sideways trading, while a 7,300-tonne fresh cancellation from Asian locations bolstered copper's price incline. The LME three-month copper price was recently at $5,188 per tonne, inching up by 0.1% from an intra-morning low of $5,170 per tonne. Trading turnover...Read More
US hot-rolled coil prices have crashed below $23 per hundredweight ($460 per short ton) despite some mills trying to lift prices in tandem with an expected increase in scrap costs in May.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $22.63 per cwt ($452.60 per ton) on Tuesday April 28, down by 1.7% from $23.03 per cwt on Monday April 27 and down by 4.8% from $2...Read More
The prices for steel billet and rebar in the United Arab Emirates fell over the past week due to weak demand during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, as well as the continued effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, market sources said on Tuesday April 28. Authorities in the UAE announced a curfew from 10pm to 6am for the month of Ramadan, which started on April 23. Traditionally consumption of steel pr...Read More
Some flat steel import prices in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia decreased this week, with the markets very slow because of concerns about the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the start of Ramadan, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday April 28.No deals were heard during the week, with steel consumption reduced because the Islamic holy month of Ramadan started on April 23, when a...Read More
Prices in the market for steel billet exports from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) continued to soften in late April, with some cargoes heard sold to customers in the Middle East with discounts.A large cargo of Ukraine-origin billet was reported sold to Saudi Arabia for around $360 per tonne cfr. According to various sources, the cost of freight would vary within the range of $20-25 p...Read More
China's domestic hot-rolled coil prices weakened on Tuesday April 28, with sentiment dampened by futures losses amid a drop in raw materials costs. Exporters, meanwhile, expect sellers globally to cut their offer prices amid bid drops, especially when mills remain in pressure to reduce inventories.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,260-3,280 yuan ($460-463) per tonne, down 30-40 yuan pe...Read More
The impact of Covid-19 is undeniably huge. It continues to make its presence felt across all commodity markets, including the ferrous supply chain, from raw materials down to finished steel products. One significant impact that can be tracked closely through spot pricing is the increasing disarray in price correlations between various segments of the ferrous supply chain after the Covid-19 pandemi...Read More