Hot-rolled coil pricing in the United States was largely steady at around $30 per hundredweight following a series of producer price increases last week. Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US ended Wednesday March 4 at $30.08 per hundredweight ($601.60 per short ton), up by 0.3% from $30 per cwt on Monday and a 2.4% increase from...Read More

The United States Department of Commerce has announced an affirmative preliminary circumvention ruling against imports of steel concrete reinforcing bar from Mexico.Imports of straight rebar that is bent at one or both ends, produced and/or exported to the US by Deacero SAPI de CV, circumvent the existing anti-dumping duty order on rebar from Mexico that is in straight or coil form,...Read More

Trading activity in the Iranian export billet market was limited in the week to Wednesday March 4 because of a mismatch between mills' offer prices and the bids placed by customers.Iranian billet producers continued to insist on export offers at $390 per tonne fob, referring to strong demand in the domestic market.The increased demand seen in the local market in recent weeks was the result of the...Read More

Demand for flat steel products in Turkey improved in February because end-user stock levels were low, market participants told Fastmarkets on Wednesday March 4.Sources added that local producers have now filled their order books until late April.Local demand was moderate in Turkey in February because buyers placed orders only to replenish their stocks. The market was now uncertain about the direct...Read More

Brazilian mining company Vale has decided to halt operations indefinitely at its Fazend??o iron ore mine in the south-eastern state of Minas Gerais, after an expansion permit was revoked in February by the local environmental development council.The stoppage was announced by the municipality of Catas Altas - where the mine is located - on Tuesday March 3, and confirmed to Fastmarkets by a Vale spo...Read More

There were new bookings reported in the Turkish deep-sea scrap market on Wednesday March 4, with steel mills expected to hold out until the end of the week, sources told Fastmarkets.The steel mills went quiet at the start of last week, after buying around 750,000 tonnes in February with no new cargoes booked so far in March.The last cargo reported sold, was on Monday February 24,&nb...Read More

Seaborne coking coal prices were stable on Wednesday March 4, with trading activity muted in the spot market.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $162.75 per tonne, up $0.36 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $175.86 per tonne, up $2.44 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $145.01 per tonne, unchangedHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $156.50 per tonne, unchangedSeabor...Read More

Weaker domestic demand and a number of traders in short-selling positions have led to a drop in Japan export scrap prices over the past week, market sources told Fastmarkets.Lower offer prices from Japanese exporters resulted in increased sales activity from the country to South Korea and Taiwan during the week.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel scrap H2 export, fob main port Japan, was ?23,...Read More

Seaborne iron ore prices rose on Wednesday March 4, with the benchmark high-grade brand Iron Ore Carajas and benchmark low-grade, low-alumina Yandi fines attracting higher prices in the seaborne market amid persistent tight supply from Brazil and margins' concerns among steel mills. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $90.99 per tonne, up $2.44 per tonne. 62% Fe low-alumina fin...Read More

Nickel premiums in China, the United States and Europe held firm in the week to Tuesday March 3, tempered by a lack of liquidity in all regions over the period.China premiums stabilized while the import arbitrage window remained firmly closedLiquidity dried up in the US - where spot trade had previously been enlivened - keeping premiums unchangedEuropean premiums held at low levels, unperturbed by...Read More

China's domestic hot-rolled coil prices were mixed on Wednesday March 4, with those in the northern region displaying more strength on higher demand.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,510-3,530 yuan ($503-506) per tonne, down 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,300 yuan per tonne, narrowing upward by 20 yuan per tonneIn Shanghai, sellers started the day on a cautious note in response to...Read More

Copper futures on the London Metal Exchange rose in morning trading on Wednesday March 4, after fresh cancellations showed up in the 09:00am stock reporting.At $5,715 per tonne, the LME three-month copper contract is up by $55 on yesterday's 7pm closing price.Some 13,125 tonnes of copper was freshly cancelled, following 17,000 tonnes on Tuesday and a 61,175-tonne inflow on Wednesday February 26.St...Read More

China's domestic rebar prices were mixed on Wednesday March 4, with those in the east of the country edging higher while those in the north moved down slightly on different trading activity.Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,420-3,440 yuan ($493-496) per tonne, narrowed upward by 20 yuan per tonne Northern China (Beijing): 3,280-3,320 yuan per tonne, down 10-20 yuan per tonneIn eastern China, some tradin...Read More

Broader markets are mixed this morning, Wednesday March 4, with markets in Asia generally weaker, while the London Metal Exchange base metals and western equities are recovering after having taken fright from the United States Federal Reserve's rate cut on Tuesday. The US central bank's emergency 50-basis-point rate cut led the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) to close down by 2.94% on Tuesday,...Read More

Cobalt trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets. Unless otherwise stated, all prices are per lb on an in-warehouse basis. Delivered prices are netted back. Fastmarkets prices Click here for Fastmarkets' price assessment for standard-grade cobalt, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb. Click here for Fastmarkets' price assessment for alloy-grade cobalt, in-whs Rotterdam, $/l...Read More

An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons behind the latest price moves.Read More

Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday March 4. Key drivers:  Prices move into March unchanged after four weeks, although participants report signs of renewed demand for second-quarter settlements from consumers in the steel sector.European suppliers expected to push...Read More

Production of nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) lithium-ion batteries at South Korean battery maker LG Chem is not being affected by supply disruptions at L&F, one of its local cathode materials suppliers, a company source told Fastmarkets."L&F is not a major supplier to LG Chem," the source said. "LG Chem's own battery cathode operations can make up for the disrupted feedstock supply at L&F."Located...Read More

The Chinese ferro-silicon price continued to fall in the week to Wednesday March 4 due to high stocks and worsening magnesium price performance. Fastmarkets' price assessment for ferro-silicon 75% Si min, in-whs China was 5,800-6,000 yuan ($837-866) per tonne on Wednesday, down by 7.6% at the midpoint from 6,300-6,400 in the previous week. "The price has fallen back to where it was before the...Read More

A buildup of manganese ore at Chinese ports is set to escalate in the coming weeks when a jump in fresh imports adds to a spillover of material into minor ports, manganese market sources predict. Manganese ore stocks in main Chinese ports stand at 4.64-4.85 million tonnes according to Fastmarkets' latest assessment on Monday March 2, compared with 4.52-4.64 million tonnes at the end of 2019....Read More