Key data from the Wednesday June 5 pricing session in Europe.Key drivers- The European ferro-titanium price fell for the second consecutive week after six weeks of stability. - Demand for ferro-titanium was muted short term, although one source said it had picked up over the past week.- One...Read More

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday June 5 that are worth another look.Nickel market analysts were resolutely bearish during a pricing panel at Fastmarkets' seventh International Nickel conference in Amsterdam on Wednesday June 5, forecasting that the London Metal Exchange three-month nickel price is unlikely to breach $13,000 per tonne this year. ArcelorMittal...Read More

The London Metal Exchange hopes to drive nickel stocks back onto the exchange with new warehouse proposals to be announced in the summer, vice-president of sales Alberto Xodo said on Wednesday June 5.LME nickel stocks dropped to around 160,000 tonnes on June 3-4 this year, compared with 446,676 tonnes in January 2016, when the LME warehouse reform to end delivery queues was implemented."The wareho...Read More

A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday June 5. Please click...Read More

The global alumina market has become more sentiment-driven over the past year and knee-jerk reactions have become more common, market sources told Fastmarkets.A significant part of this change was a consequence of the chaos that developed in the market after producer Norsk Hydro was compelled to declare force majeure at its Alunorte alumina refinery in Brazil in March 2018."If I look back, this is...Read More

Nickel premiums worldwide were predominantly lower during the week ending on June 5, with heightened trade tensions pushing nickel briquette premiums in the United States down for the third consecutive week.European nickel premiums held steady while market participants gathered at Fastmarkets' 7th International Nickel Conference in Amsterdam. US briquette premiums weaken Import window in China clo...Read More

The refined nickel market deficit is expected to nearly halve to around 80,000 tonnes this year from almost 150,000 tonnes in 2018, the International Nickel Study Group said on Wednesday June 5. "The nickel market has been in deficit since 2016. This year, the deficit is expected to be smaller than in 2018 at around 80,000 tonnes," Richardo Ferreira, director of market research and statistics, tol...Read More

ArcelorMittal Italia, formerly known as Ilva, will lay off 1,395 workers from its plant in Taranto for a period of 13 weeks beginning in early July, the company said on Wednesday June 5."It's a difficult decision but market conditions are really critical throughout Europe. These are temporary measures [and] steel is a cyclical market," the chief executive officer of ArcelorMittal Italia, Matthieu...Read More

Voestalpine has blamed lower earnings for its 2018/2019 financial year on an economic slowdown caused by trade wars between the United States, China and Europe, as well as Brexit, chairman Wolfgang Eder said. Looking forward, macroeconomic developments will depend on the extent to which these external factors continue to affect consumer spending patterns in Europe and beyond, the Austria-based ste...Read More

Domestic prices for hollow steel sections in Europe were unchanged this week, but feedstock costs have begun to recover from recent losses, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday June 5.Fastmarkets' domestic price assessment for commodity-size, grade-S235 square hollow sections made in Northern Europe was unchanged week on week at ?,?600-630 ($675-709) per tonne delivered on Wednesday.Some market p...Read More

Steel H-beam prices in both Northern and Southern Europe were unchanged this week but sentiment was negative due to the low levels of demand, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday June 5.Fastmarkets' price assessment for domestic S235-grade, 200x200mm, category-2 H-beam in Northern Europe was unchanged week on week at ?,?585-615 ($658-692) per tonne delivered on Wednesday.One European mill was hop...Read More

The stainless scrap market in the United States has continued to deteriorate, with prices falling further this week."There has been no improvement in demand, no improvement in the London Metal Exchange [cash nickel price], and there is no shortage of scrap to meet the current demand," one domestic dealer source said."Seems like May was a lost month, and unless the market unexpectedly jumps......Read More

Turkish mills continued their absence from the deep-sea scrap market on Wednesday June 5 while the country was on the week-long Eid al-Fitr public holiday, sources told Fastmarkets.The market will remain subdued for the remainder of the week while Turkey marks the end of the period of abstinence for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.As a result of the lack of...Read More

Nickel market analysts were resolutely bearish during a pricing panel at the Fastmarkets' seventh International Nickel conference in Amsterdam on Wednesday June 5, forecasting that the London Metal Exchange three-month nickel price is unlikely to breach $13,000 per tonne this year. The LME three-month price is currently trading below $12,000 per tonne, hitting an intraday high of $11,860 per...Read More

The estimated arbitrage between Southeast Asian warehouses and the US Midwest continued to narrow in May, due to lower Midwest premiums and a spike in spot barge rates.This reduces demand for other origin material, such as that from Southeast Asian warehouses, meaning there is less room for arbitrage opportunities. "The removal of import tariffs on Mexico and Canada will provide cheaper options fo...Read More

China's hot-rolled coil prices slid further on Wednesday June 5 amid persistently thin trading, though some exporters showed little willingness to sell any lower.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,870-3,880 yuan ($561-562) per tonne, down 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,800-3,810 yuan per tonne, narrowing downward 10 yuan per tonnePrices continued to drop, with trading being thinner...Read More

China's domestic rebar prices moved up slightly on Wednesday June 5 on rebounding futures in the final hours of trading, though the increases resulted in a drop in buying activity. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,920-3,960 yuan ($567-573) per tonne, up 10-20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,850-3,900 yuan per tonne, up 30 yuan per tonneA few traders who did not have a lot of material...Read More

The London Metal Exchange zinc price continued to increase over morning trading on Wednesday June 5 following another cancellation of 16,475 tonnes. This followed yesterday's cancellation of 15,050 tonnes, which means that 40% of the LME's total zinc stock - at 99,775 tonnes - has been marked for delivery as of today. The sudden cancellation of warrants prompted a zinc price rally, takin...Read More

Cobalt trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets. Unless otherwise stated, all prices are per lb on an in-warehouse basis. Delivered prices are netted back. Fastmarkets prices Click here for Fastmarkets' price assessment for standard-grade cobalt, in-warehouse, $ per lb Click here for Fastmarkets' price assessment for alloy-grade cobalt, in-warehouse, $ per lb Click her...Read More

The following Fastmarkets UK non-ferrous scrap and foundry ingot prices changed on Wednesday June 5:Titanium scrapTurnings, unprocessed type 90/6/4, 0.5% Sn max:...Read More