The three-month nickel price on the London Metal Exchange was lower during morning trading on Friday January 24, with price action continuing its descent against consistent inflows, while copper futures found support back above nearby resistance. Nickel's outright price on the LME was recently seen at $13,285 per tonne, 0.7% below Thursday's closing price of $13,350 with just 536 lots exchanged as...Read More

Pig iron import prices in the United States have softened under a bearish mood in the scrap market, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday January 24.Fastmarkets' price assessment for pig iron, import, cfr Gulf of Mexico, US, was $345-350 per tonne on Friday, widening downward from $350 per tonne a week earlier.Several bookings of Russia-origin material were heard at $345-348 per tonne cfr. "Deal...Read More

The three-month price of nickel on the London Metal Exchange was lower at the close of trading on Friday January 24, losing more than 3% and sinking below nearby support to close at its lowest level in six months, while tin futures also struggled over the afternoon.Nickel's outright price on the LME settled at $12,950 per tonne on Friday afternoon, losing more than 9% since starting the week when...Read More

Lingering demand from Asia caused prices for some aluminium scrap grades in the United States to climb again this past week despite the Lunar New Year holiday, celebrated January 24-30."Export is very strong right now and that's impacting what's available domestically. You have consumers like us who are trying to buy scrap, and the price is really high," one US-based consumer said.Particular inter...Read More

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

A summary of Buenaventura's lead, zinc and copper production and sales volumes for the fourth quarter and full-year 2019, following the company's report released on Friday January 24. The Peruvian mining company missed its own full-year targets for zinc and copper production at most of its units, besides the Tambomayo mine in the southern Caylloma province of Peru. Lead output at the El Brocal min...Read More

Fastmarkets' copper concentrates TC/RC index dips while the market pivots to second-quarter buying and participants expect greater spot demand to build during that time.A weekly brief on the Fastmarkets' copper concentrate index. Fastmarkets copper concentrates TC/RC index dips while the market starts to focus on April delivery material with participants expecting spot demand to increase...Read More

The three-month nickel price on the London Metal Exchange was lower during morning trading on Friday January 24, with price action continuing its descent against consistent inflows, while copper futures found support back above nearby resistance. Nickel's outright price on the LME was recently seen at $13,285 per tonne, 0.7% below Thursday's closing price of $13,350 with just 536 lots exchanged as...Read More

Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States went down slightly on Friday January 24 due to slow spot market activity amid negative outlooks on ferrous scrap prices, sources said.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $30.09 per hundredweight ($601.80 per short ton) on Friday, down by 1.1% from $30.44 per cwt on January 23 but 0.5% higher than $29.94 per cwt a...Read More

Czech steelmaker Trineck?(C) ? 1/2 elez??rny plans to increase its capacity and production volumes in 2020 despite reducing its level of investment, the company said on Thursday January 23.Last year, the company reduced its planned investments by 500 million Czech koruna ($22 million) due to a decline in demand and low prices, it said."We reduced total investment by more than 500 million Czech kor...Read More

Indian domestic secondary billet prices have risen by 400 rupees ($6) per tonne in the week ended Friday January 24, on price rises announced by all the country's major iron ore miners.The price of steel billet, domestic, ex-works India, assessed by Fastmarkets on January 24, rose by 400 rupees per tonne to 30,100-30,300 rupees ($422-425) per tonne, compared with last week's assessment at 29,700-2...Read More

Turkish prices for hot-dipped galvanized coil (HDG), and color-coated coil or pre-painted galvanized iron (PPGI), decreased in the week to Friday January 24 amid moderate demand, sources told Fastmarkets.Demand was moderate because buyers had expected prices to decrease more because of falling scrap prices.Fastmarkets' daily index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), Northern Europe origin, cfr T...Read More

Chinese steelmaker Hebei Jingye Group has moved a step closer to acquiring British Steel following an agreement made with the trade unions that could result in 500 job losses.The proposals from Jingye on terms of employment now need to be agreed by British Steel staff following the negotiations by the various trade unions.Other outstanding hurdles to the deal include Jingye reaching an agreement.....Read More

Low pig iron availability in the export market from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) prevented prices from following the rapid drop in the scrap market, sources told Fastmarkets during the week ended Thursday January 23."I agree that normally pig iron follows the trend in the scrap market, but now the availability from the CIS is so low that this rule doesn't apply," one exporter said....Read More

The inter-merchant spot market for light iron scrap in the UK was steady in the week ended Friday January 24, but a drop in European export prices to traditional markets in Turkey and the Indian subcontinent may drag on British prices in the near term, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel scrap 5C, loose old light, domestic, delivered inter-merchant, UK, was ?95...Read More

The price of grade-316 stainless steel scrap rose in the UK domestic market this week on short supply, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday January 24. Fastmarkets' price assessment for stainless steel scrap 316 solids, domestic, delivered merchants UK, was ?1,200-1,220 ($1,575-1,601) per tonne on Friday, up from ?1,170-1,200 per tonne a week ago.Supply of stainless steel scrap is typically low in...Read More

The price of ferrous scrap imported into India continued to fall this week, in line with the drop in international scrap prices, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' calculation of the steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, was $296.51 per tonne on January 24, down from $313.61 per tonne on January 17. Deals for shredded material into India were heard at the beginning of the week...Read More

The Turkish steel mills ended the working week having purchased only one deep-sea cargo, because they were still struggling with sluggish rebar demand, sources said on Friday January 24.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region had booked a UK cargo, comprising 22,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $277 per tonne cfr, late on January 22, which sent the daily scrap indices down by $6.45 per tonne on Thur...Read More

A summary of Anglo American's production results for iron ore in the fourth quarter and full-year 2019, as well as production guidance for 2020, following the company's report released on Thursday January 23. The South African Kumba unit increased production on both comparisons due to the Sishen mine improving operational performance and the Kolomela mine - both mines are part of the Kumba un...Read More

Seaborne iron ore prices were rangebound on Friday January 24 while the week-long Chinese New Year holiday starts, but market participants who were still working believe that the outlook is bearish with the ongoing fears of the coronavirus not being contained.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $93.71 per tonne, up $0.27 per tonne.62% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, cfr Qingdao: $92.75...Read More