An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More

A surge in Chinese high-carbon ferro-chrome production last year led to a jump in buying interest for chrome ore, resulting in a significant build-up of ore inventories in the country that is dampening market sentiment. At the same time, the increased output among Chinese ferro-chrome smelters is exceeding demand from the downstream stainless steel sector and is putting pressure on China's market...Read More

Key data from the pricing sessions in Asia, Europe and the United States for the week ending Friday February 28. China  Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) continues to weaken sentiment for seaborne ore prices amid sharp falls in portside and alloy prices.  Portside prices fell on aggressive bids...Read More

Benchmark alumina prices climbed to a seven-month high on Friday February 28 with deals concluding above $300 per tonne. Fastmarkets calculated the daily alumina index, fob Australia at $302.50 per tonne on Thursday, up from $299.74 per tonne the previous day and $292.47 per tonne a week ago. It was now at its highest level since July 30, 2019. Key drivers:  Nalco tender concluded on Fri...Read More

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

An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More

Adam HamiltonArchivesFeb 28, 2020 Before their recent surge on gold regaining $1600, the gold stocks spent much of the past half-year or so largely drifting sideways to lower. That high consolidation really weighed on sentiment, with greed giving way to apathy. This sector normally tends to suffer a seasonal slump into mid-March, paving the way for gold stocks' spring rally. That's their second-st...Read More

The price of ferrous scrap imported into India was broadly stable in a lackluster market this week, due to ongoing global fears over the spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and the linked rise in container freight rates, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday February 28.Fastmarkets calculated the steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India, at $305.66 per tonne on Friday, up...Read More

The inter-merchant spot market for light iron scrap in the UK was flat in the week ended Friday February 28, extending a period of price stability this month against a recovery in European export prices and with major British shredders seeking steady supplies, sources have told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel scrap 5C, loose old light, domestic, delivered inter-merchant,...Read More

Turkish steel producers remained out of the deep-sea scrap import market at the end of the week to avoid a further increase in prices, while escalated tension in Syria hit trade in the country, sources said on Friday February 28.After a buying spree over the past three weeks, mills stepped back from deep-sea scrap purchases at the beginning of this week.The most recent cargo was sold on Monday Feb...Read More

Growing fears in recent days that the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) epidemic is becoming a pandemic have given global equity markets a reality check and base metals that had initially reacted more than equities are now down less than equities, so may have some catching up to do.The Dow Jones Industrial Average in pre-market trading on Friday February 28, is indicated at 25,190, which means it is d...Read More

An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More

Battery-grade lithium prices were unchanged in Asia, Europe and the United States in the week to Thursday February 27, with market participants continuing to track the spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) in South Korea and Europe although both regions are yet to see a great impact on prices, sources said. The novel coronavirus outbreak in South Korea has made market participants wary, but...Read More

Flat steel import prices showed no clear trend in South America in the week ended Friday February 28, with Chinese exporters trying to push for increases following a steep decline through the earlier parts of the month.Buyers in Brazil had been especially quiet because of the strengthening United States dollar and the annual break for carnival festivities in the South American country."Clients hav...Read More

Indian mills are expected to raise domestic hot-rolled coil prices by about 750-1,000 rupees ($10-14) per tonne for March sales, citing rising demand and higher export prices.Indian mills have kept domestic prices of HRC stable through February, but two mills confirmed they were considering raising prices in March.Market participants, however, said that any increase...Read More

Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Europe increased slightly day on day on Friday February 28, buoyed by positive sentiment in the market, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, ex-works Northern Europe, was ?,?484.90 ($530.95) per tonne on Friday, up by ?,?0.52 from ?,?484.38 per tonne on February 27.The index was calculated based on deals and achie...Read More

Domestic steel beam prices in the United States remained flat in February in the face of mostly stable demand, while import beam prices widened, moving slightly lower at the midpoint.Fastmarkets' monthly price assessment for steel beams 8 x 8-inch,  fob mill US held at $36.50 per hundredweight ($730 per short ton) on Thursday February 27, flat from the January 30 assessment but up by 3.5% fro...Read More

Polish domestic rebar prices were unchanged during the week to Friday February 28, supported by firm demand from the construction industry, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, ex-works Poland, was 2,050-2,150 zloty ($520-545) per tonne on Friday, unchanged since February 14. ...Read More

The steel export trade from Iran has been hurt by neighboring countries closing their borders due to the appearance of coronavirus infection in the Middle Eastern country, Fastmarkets learnt on Friday February 28.Most of the states that neighbor the Islamic republic - Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Armenia - closed their land borders with Iran this week amid growing regional concerns abou...Read More

The pig iron market in the United States during the week ended Friday February 28 went up on new bookings and amid expectations of higher scrap prices in March, sources have told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for pig iron, import, cfr Gulf of Mexico, US, was $347-350 per tonne on Friday, up from $335-340 per tonne the week before.Late last week, two cargoes with a...Read More