Bosnian aluminium smelter Aluminij Mostar has shut down after years of financial struggle. Market sources cited issues with the smelter's debt as causing the plant to shut. The smelter's power was cut off around midnight on Wednesday July 10, local media outlet Klix reported. Nermin D? 3/4 indic, federal minister of energy, mining and industry, told local media a request for the smelter's bankrupt...Read More
Tin premiums in Europe, North America and Asia were stable over the week to Tuesday July 9, with European market participants questioning a further downside move from its lowest level since November 2018, and US and Chinese premiums holding firm against lagging demand. Global premiums static in quiet trading conditions. European market remains at November 2018 low, with downside bias. ...Read More
Peru has given Southern Copper the construction authorization it needed for the T?-a Mar?-a copper project to go ahead, the company and the Peruvian authorities said on Tuesday July 9.The mining company, which already has operations in Peru and in Mexico, has waited for eight years to get the permit for the project, which will exploit two deposits: La Tapada and T?-a Mar?-a. It is expected to prod...Read More
Central Asia Metals is well placed to hit its output targets for 2019, after meeting expectations for copper, zinc and lead output in the first half of the year, the company said on Wednesday July 10. During the six-month period, the company produced 6,594 tonnes of copper, 11,517 tonnes of zinc in concentrate and 14,357 tonnes of lead in concentrate, the company said. Central Asia Metals' guidanc...Read More
Copper-zinc miner Hudbay has appointed former Nevsun chief executive Peter Kukielski its interim chief executive officer after longstanding executive Alan Hair stood down from the post.Hair had been president and CEO of the company since 2016, having been at Hudbay for more than...Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for any price moves.Read More
Turkish steel producers paused their deep-sea scrap bookings again to take in the latest downturn in steel prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 10.After a steel mill in the Iskenderun region paid $288 per tonne cfr for UK-origin HMS 1&2 (80:20), on Tuesday July 9, the daily scrap indices went down by $14.78 per tonne.The drop was...Read More
The Chinese central government has toned down its ambitious plan to ban all solid waste imports, including metal scrap, by the end of 2020 in its recently proposed revisions to the regulation on solid waste management. The country's National People's Congress announced on July 5 a proposed revision to the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollutio...Read More
In a rare move, Japan has started selling steel billet to Southeast Asia amid diving scrap prices in the country's domestic market.Steel mills in the Tokyo area have started channeling shipments of the semi-finished product to Southeast Asia, where buyers are prepared to pay higher prices than Japanese re-rollers, market sources said.While the sale of Japanese billet to Southeast Asia is not unpre...Read More
Market participants seem to be waiting for something to provide direction and that impetus is likely to come from the testimony of the United States Federal Reserve chairman later today.Market participants are counting on Fed chairman Jerome Powell to remain accommodating when testifying to Congress, with high odds that the 'insurance cut' of 25 basis points will be implemented in its July Federal...Read More
Australia's Pilbara Minerals expects production and sales of lithium spodumene concentrate to return to full capacity in the fourth quarter of 2019 and has secured a new offtake agreement with the Chinese Great Wall Motor Co. The company made the announcement on Tuesday July 9 after discussions with offtake partners Ganfeng Lithium and General Lithium. On June 17, Pilbara Minerals said it would re...Read More
Australian lithium spodumene producer Altura Mining has finalized a binding five-year offtake agreement with Chinese lithium carbonate and hydroxide converter Shandong Ruifu.Altura will supply Shandong Ruifu with a minimum of 35,000 tonnes per year of 6% lithium spodumene concentrate, produced from its lithium mine at Pilgangoora in Western Australia, for a period of five years from July 2019 unti...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil (HRC) in Europe have decreased over the past week due to poor demand, market sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 10.Buying activity has continued, however, but subject to limited demand from end-users and sufficient stocks held by buyers."Market activity is almost non-existent, and the situation is not going to change because in August the mills will go o...Read More
Domestic prices for heavy steel plate across Europe have decreased over the past week due to limited trading activity, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 10.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel, domestic, plate 8-40mm, exw Southern Europe, was ?,?500-520 ($560-583) per tonne ex-works on July 10, compared with ?,?515-525 per tonne ex-works a week earlier.The assessment reflected d...Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices fell amid weakening futures, with traders agreeing to sell cargoes with shorter lead times at a discount to those being offered by mills. DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,890-3,900 yuan ($565-566) per tonne, down 30-40 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,830-3,840 yuan per tonne, down 10-20 yuan per tonneTransaction prices fell across the country even though...Read More
The price of mesh-quality wire rod in Southern Europe has fallen by ?,?10-30 ($11-34) per tonne week on week, because mills in Italy and Spain lowered their offers ahead of the summer slowdown, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 10.Fastmarkets' assessment of the price of steel wire rod (mesh-quality), domestic, delivered Southern Europe, was ?,?470-500 ($527-560) per tonne on Wednesday, do...Read More
Domestic price ranges for hollow steel sections in Northern and Southern Europe widened further this week following pressure from decreased feedstock costs and increased import volumes, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 10.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?625-640 ($700-717) per tonne on Wednesday, down from ?,?630-640 p...Read More
Steel H-beam prices in Northern and Southern Europe moved down this week following fluctuations in feedstock supply and uncertain market conditions ahead of the seasonal summer slowdown, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 10.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel beams, domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?570-600 ($639-672) per tonne on July 10, down from ?,?570-605 per tonne one...Read More
Turkish steel producers paused their deep-sea scrap bookings again to take in the latest downturn in steel prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 10.After a steel mill in the Iskenderun region paid $288 per tonne cfr for UK-origin HMS 1&2 (80:20), on Tuesday July 9, the daily scrap indices went down by $14.78 per tonne.The drop was...Read More
Jason talks with Paul Craig Roberts about people's lack of resistance to being manipulated, controlled, and our general apathy to stand up for what is right and wrong. The pair also discuss the Epstein child trafficking case.Paul Craig Roberts is an American economist and a columnist for Creators Syndicate. He served as an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan Administration and was no...Read More