An overview of the minor metals markets andthe reasons for any price moves.Read More
German steelmakers have settled their monthly contracts for ferrous scrap in March with a month-on-month increase of ?,?10-15 ($11-17) per tonne, following the rise in the international market, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday March 13.The steelmakers, however, had wanted lower prices for scrap due to the fall in long steel demand that has resulted from the uncertainties related to the 2019-nCoV...Read More
The inter-merchant spot market for light iron scrap in the UK was steady for a fifth consecutive week, but there may be losses in the near term as other grade spot prices delivered to British steelmakers dropped after monthly settlements were agreed up on February, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel scrap 5C, loose old light, domestic, delivered inter-merchant,...Read More
Activity in the Italian ferrous scrap market has almost vanished due to the country's lockdown to deal with the outbreak of 2019-nCoV coronavirus, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday March 13.On March 11, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed a decree tightening the country's lockdown from the conditions set out in a previous decree on March 9. While there were no explicit measures to restri...Read More
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJIA) closed down by 10% on Thursday March 12, taking the loss from the February high to 28.3%, while the London Metal Exchange three-month base metals at their recent lows have been down by an average of 16% - ranged between 10.4% for aluminium and 22.2% for zinc.DJIA futures were up by 1.6% in pre-market trading at 6.45am on Friday morning, although most A...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More
Chinese domestic spot battery-grade lithium carbonate prices stabilized temporarily on Thursday March 12 after a slight decrease last week, market in other regions remained flat with market participants worrying about an economic slowdown due to the spread of coronavirus (2019-nCoV) globally.China's battery-grade lithium carbonate prices stabilized this week after a decrease last week.China's lith...Read More
Steel import prices in South America were mixed over the past week, with some suppliers taking advantage of lower availability to present more expensive offers, while China-origin material was offered at lower levels, source told Fastmarkets.Market participants noted an unusual scenario of flat-rolled steel being offered to Brazil at lower levels than South American Pacific countries. Chinese stee...Read More
The hot-rolled coil market in Northern European weakened slightly on Friday March 13 on negative sentiment due to uncertainty relating to the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, ex-works Northern Europe, was ?,?481.18 ($540.29) per tonne on Friday March 13, down by ?,?1.32 per tonne from ?,?482.50 per tonne on M...Read More
Indian hot-rolled coil (HRC) producers have dropped their export prices of the commodity after the Indian rupee continued to weaken against the dollar. Fastmarkets' price of steel HRC export, fob main port India fell to $465-470 per tonne on Friday March 13, a drop of $15 per tonne or 3.1% from last week's assessment of $480-485 per tonne fob...Read More
Domestic rebar prices in Poland have been largely unchanged this week on flat scrap values and stable demand, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday, March 13.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, ex-works Poland, was unchanged at 1,900-1,930 zloty ($502-520) per tonne on Friday March 13.The assessment includes deals and offers heard in the market at 1,930-1...Read More
Italian long steel producer Feralpi Group has announced the closure of one of its mills, starting from March 16, due to the outbreak of 2019-nCoV coronavirus, the company told Fastmarkets on Friday March 13.On March 11, Italian authorities issued another decree intended to help restrict the spread of the coronavirus infection, tightening the lockdown across the country from the conditions set out...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices increased on Friday March 13 on futures gains driven by market participant optimism over the news of a reduction in the central bank's required reserve ratio. Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,450-3,480 yuan ($494-498) per tonne, up 20 yuan per tonne Northern China (Beijing): 3,320-3,360 yuan per tonne, up 20 yuan per tonne People's Bank of China (PBOC) plan...Read More
The pig iron market in the United States has weakened during the week to Friday March 13, under pressure from the general economic uncertainty caused by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment of pig iron, import, cfr Gulf of Mexico, US, was $345-347 per tonne on Friday, down from $360-363 per tonne a week ago."We are concerned about the effects...Read More
German steelmakers have settled their monthly contracts for ferrous scrap in March with a month-on-month increase of ?,?10-15 ($11-17) per tonne, following the rise in the international market, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday March 13.The steelmakers, however, had wanted lower prices for scrap due to the fall in long steel demand that has resulted from the uncertainties related to the 2019-nCoV...Read More
The pig iron export price from the Commonwealth of Independent States has rolled back under pressure from the bearish mood caused by the global spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for high-manganese pig iron, export, fob main port Black Sea, CIS, was $320-327 per tonne on March 12, down from $329-340 per tonne a week earlier."Crashed oil pric...Read More
The price of steel slab from Brazil has edged downward over the past week, with sellers attempting to put limits to a downtrend in the market amid growing uncertainty in the United States.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel slab, export, fob main port Brazil, fell to $460-470 per tonne on Friday March 13, from $470-475 per tonne in the previous week.The market was shaken when many custo...Read More
Trading activity in the CIS export billet market remained quiet in the week ended Friday March 13 despite the fact that most CIS mills have reduced their offer prices.Offers from Russia and Ukraine were heard mainly within the range of $390-395 per tonne fob Black Sea, down by $5 per tonne week on week. One Russian producer even offered billet as low as $380 per tonne fob Black Sea, but the offer...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices increased on Friday March 13 on futures gains driven by market participant optimism over the news of a reduction in the central bank's required reserve ratio. Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,450-3,480 yuan ($494-498) per tonne, up 20 yuan per tonne Northern China (Beijing): 3,320-3,360 yuan per tonne, up 20 yuan per tonne People's Bank of China (PBOC) plan...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Asia, Europe and the United States for the week ended Friday March 13. United States Thin available inventory pressured prices upward. Consumer interest was still limited but suppliers drove liquidity...Read More