The P1020 Midwest aluminium premium in the United States edged higher on Friday April 5 amid tightening supply and a wide contango on the London Metal Exchange.Fastmarkets AMM assessed the P1020 Midwest premium at 19.25-19.5 cents per lb on April 5, up from 19-19.25 cents per lb, where the premium had held since March 29.Traders pointed to the high cost of replacing metal - citing the US Section 2...Read More

Continued supply concerns in the US copper rod market have prompted higher offers for material - and put pressure on domestic premiums, market sources told Fastmarkets AMM.Fastmarkets AMM's assessment of the US copper rod premium was unchanged at 15-17 cents per lb delivered to the Midwest on Thursday April 4; the premium has remained at that level since January 3. Production issues at Asarco...Read More

The following Fastmarkets non-ferrous European free market scrap prices changed on Friday April 5:Aluminium scrapFloated Frag: ?,?1,045-1,090 per tonne from ?,?1,050-1,095Cast: ?,?955-975 per tonne from ?,?960-980Mixed...Read More

The price of copper in the United States was in negative territory in morning trading on Friday April 5 because of reservations about the China-US trade talks.The copper price for May settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange inched down by 0.30 cents per lb to $2.9070 per lb.Talk of a trade deal had boosted sentiment across the commodities markets, including among the b...Read More

The atmosphere at the Cesco copper industry gathering in Santiago, Chile, next week is expected to be lifted by a bullish outlook for the red metal. The South American gathering is traditionally characterized by strong attendance by miners, due in part to its proximity to the largest copper mines in the world. As a result, delegates will have a keen focus on factors that could affect the upstream...Read More

The federal court in Bel?(C)m, in the northern Brazilian state of Par??, has scheduled a second conciliatory hearing on April 12 to discuss the production embargo of Norsk Hydro's Alunorte alumina refinery. The first hearing took place on Thursday April 4, with Norsk Hydro and Brazil's federal prosecutors' office (MPF) producing information to the judge regarding the progress of the ongoing third-...Read More

Brazilian slab export prices remained stable in the week to Friday April 5 week while producers prepared to increase prices and offers.Fastmarkets' weekly assessment of Brazilian slab export prices was $510-550 per tonne fob on April 5, again stable week on week.Producers have started to renew offers for June shipment, and Brazilian material is expected to continue trading at high prices, due to m...Read More

Prices of steel sheet products in the United States held steady over the past week, with buyers showing no urgency to place orders.Fastmarkets AMM's weekly assessment for domestic cold-rolled coil was flat at $42 per hundredweight ($840 per short ton) on Thursday April 4.The domestic hot-dipped galvanized steel base price also was unchanged week on week at $42 cwt, while the all-in...Read More

Indian mills have kept their domestic hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices stable for April sales while cheaper imported material continued to put pressure on domestic product, Fastmarkets heard on Friday April 5.Fastmarkets' assessment of the Indian domestic HRC price was 40,500-41,000 rupees ($586-594) per tonne ex-mill on Friday, the same as last week's assessment."We have tried to keep domestic HRC pr...Read More

Prices for coated-steel products in Turkey decreased in the seven days to Friday April 5, with demand weak in both the domestic and export markets.Demand was weak in March because of market uncertainty ahead of the mayoral elections held across the country on March 31, sources told Fastmarkets.Unofficially, the Justice & Development Party (AKP) - the party of national government - won the majority...Read More

Most prices for steel coil products in Turkey were stable over the week ended Friday April 5, with buying activity remaining subdued.The market was slow in March because of uncertainty in the build-up to Turkey's mayoral elections, that were held across the country on March 31.Unofficially, the Justice & Development Party (AKP) - the party of national government - won the majority of the mayoral v...Read More

Polish steelmakers were expected to increase their domestic offer prices for rebar, supported by strong demand in the construction industry, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday April 5.In the meantime, Fastmarkets' price assessment for domestic 12mm B500B-grade rebar in Poland was 2,220-2,290 zloty ($581-599) per tonne ex-works on April 5, compared with 2,220-2,320 zloty per tonne ex-works last wee...Read More

Southeast Asia's steel billet market softened over the past week amid a lack of buying interest, though thin trading has kept prices steady in the last few days.Fastmarkets MB's daily import price assessment for billet in Southeast Asia was $475-485 per tonne cfr Manila on Thursday April 4, unchanged for a second day. Last Friday's prices were $5 per tonne higher, at $480-490 per tonne cfr.No deal...Read More

Global steel scrap prices continued to move downward in the week ending Friday April 5, with the exception that prices in the US market remained unchanged on a lack of trading, and with prices in India bucking the downtrend by $0.07 per tonne. Turkish import prices drop by more than $10 per tonne week on week on political uncertainty Lack of fresh trading keeps US exports flat Good availability of...Read More

The price of shredded ferrous scrap imported into India was stable this week, with deals done at similar levels to the previous week, sources said on Friday April 5.Fastmarkets' weekly index for containerized imports of shredded scrap into India was $334.45 per tonne cfr on April 5, little changed from $334.38 per tonne cfr on March 29.This week deals were heard for shredded done at $333 and $335...Read More

Turkish steel producers largely stayed away from the deep-sea scrap markets this week, with only one cargo sold so far, according to market participants.A steel producer in the Marmara region booked a European cargo, comprising 12,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (75:25) at $304 per tonne cfr on Friday April 5.As a result of this transaction,...Read More

Prices for light iron steel scrap in the United Kingdom were rolled over for a third week on Friday April 5, with relatively tight availability against firm demand among major shredders supporting prices, sources told Fastmarkets.The move follows the imminent settlement of monthly delivery settlements in the UK to domestic consumers, with a rollover or perhaps a small decrease likely in those cont...Read More

The market for pig iron exports from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) has been in wait-and-see mode over the past week, with market participants expecting clarity to emerge in the price trend by the middle of April.Fastmarkets' price assessment for CIS exports of high-manganese pig iron was stable over the week at $340-350 per tonne fob Black Sea on April 4.Offers for this material hav...Read More

Seaborne iron ore prices remained flat on Friday April 5, with trading activity limited by a public holiday in China.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $92.90 per tonne cfr Qingdao, unchanged. MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $92.02 per tonne cfr Qingdao, unchanged. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $95.53 per tonne cfr Qingdao, unchanged. MB 58% Fe Premium Index: $82.84 per tonne cfr Qingdao, unch...Read More

The absence of Chinese market participants due to a public holiday kept seaborne coking coal prices largely stable on Friday April 5.A May-loading cargo of branded materials was traded at $202 per tonne fob Australia on Global Coal, sources told Fastmarkets during the day.Offers trended downward throughout the day on the trading platform. A cargo of unbranded materials, for instance, was offered a...Read More