Danielle DiMartino Booth is truly a global thought leader on monetary policy, economics and finance. Her book Fed Up: An Insider's Take on Why the Federal Reserve is Bad for America provides an insider's perspective of the potential damage an overreaching, out of control Fed can do. We discussed the economic ramifications of what will be left in the wake of the Covid 19 pandemic. 15% unemployment...Read More
Pretty much everything is falling apart. You've got oil in negative numbers, never happened before. You've got a large part of the planet still on lockdown and you've got central banks printing money like nobody's business. Hopefully, there is an end in site, but how much longer can things go on before there's a complete implosion. Danielle and I discuss what's coming down the road and for many of...Read More
"I think it's too soon," Trump said at his daily coronavirus briefing on Wednesday. "But at the same time, he must do what he thinks is right."Continue...Read More
"I am speaking out because to combat this deadly virus, science - not politics or cronyism - has to lead the way," Bright said.Continue...Read More
"We were told the test was ready. That turned out to be flat-out wrong."Continue...Read More
"We cannot keep up with the demand to speak with new clients or interested clients. It just keeps climbing."Continue...Read More
Japanese ferrous scrap export prices rose again on Wednesday April 22 with lower availability and more sales to Taiwan driving prices up, market sources said.One scrapyard source reported gradually decreasing scrap supply in Japan amid slowing economic activity in a similar development to the low-availability environment in both the United States and Europe, Fastmarkets was told.Japan announced it...Read More
Turkish billet prices have gone down over the past week due to sluggish demand resulting from the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak and the upcoming Islamic holy month of Ramadan, sources said on Wednesday April 22.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel billet import, cfr main port Turkey, was $365-370 per tonne cfr on Wednesday, down from the $375-380 per tonne. Suppliers in the Commonwealt...Read More
Vietnam's Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corp will not announce its monthly offer prices for its steel supply for the first time in history."The company will engage in private price negotiations with individual customers based on their demand and inventory levels," a source told Fastmarkets on Wednesday April 22.Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corp is one of two major blast furnace-based producers in Vietnam, togeth...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday April 22.Key drivers Europe ferro-titanium market extends steady trend for a third consecutive week while supply worries support prices amid reduced production both within the continent and abroad. UK-based sources say domestic production has been cut up to as much as 20% from some furnaces due to reduced staffing levels while worke...Read More
The European charge and high carbon ferro-chrome benchmark has jumped by 13 cents, or 12.9%, to $1.14 per lb for the second quarter of 2020. The settlement is announced every quarter by Merafe Resources, which operates a chrome joint venture with trader-miner Glencore in South Africa. The benchmark is settled via negotiations between a leading South African ferro-chrome producer and a major Europe...Read More
Prices for hollow steel sections in Europe moved downward this week, with demand almost non-existent despite restarts by Italian mills, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday April 22.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?585-600 ($634-651) per tonne on Wednesday, down from ?,?590-610 per tonne one week before.This week, all ey...Read More
Japanese carmaker Nissan will restart its operations in the UK later this week, conducting pilot activity before moving to restore full production at an unspecified future date, while its European plants will restart from April 27, the company announced on Wednesday April 22.As a result of worldwide shutdown measures to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, Nissan's vehicle production operations have been...Read More
A summary of Tata Steel's provisional financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of its 2020 year ended March 31, 2020.In brief Steel demand has declined due to the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe with customers, including automotive producers, pausing production and utilization levels currently at 70%. Sales and production for the full year were down year on year, but...Read More
The Covid-19 pandemic could nudge Chinese steelmakers toward using more electric-arc furnaces (EAF) to produce steel, market sources say.This is especially due to the huge market uncertainty caused by the ongoing global economic crisis. EAF-based production could offer mills - most of which are still heavily reliant on blast furnaces (BFs) - the flexibility they need in such circumstances to reduc...Read More
Vietnam's Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corp will not announce its monthly offer prices for its steel supply for the first time in history."The company will engage in private price negotiations with individual customers based on their demand and inventory levels," a source told Fastmarkets on Wednesday April 22.Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corp is one of two major blast furnace-based producers in Vietnam, togeth...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday April 22 that are worth another look.The Covid-19 pandemic could nudge Chinese steelmakers toward using more electric-arc furnaces (EAF) to produce steel, market sources say.Aluminium stocks on the London Metal Exchange continue to rise and there is now a lack of warehouse space in key Asia locations in a situation that mirrors i...Read More
European buyers of hot-rolled coil expected that domestic steelmakers would accept lower prices, sources told Fastmarkets in Wednesday April 22.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, was ?,?445.00 ($482.60) per tonne on Wednesday April 22, down by ?,?0.63 day on day from ?,?445.63 per tonne on Tuesday.And although official offers have been heard at ?,?455-47...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday April 22.Please click...Read More
The price of mesh-quality steel wire rod in Europe was slightly lower this week because of cheaper scrap costs and slow demand resulting from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday April 22.In the south of Europe, buying activity remained very slow this week due to the lockdown measures in place in various regions.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel...Read More