Japan's Mitsui & Co. will invest $30 million in Sigma Lithium Resources' (TSX-V: SGMA) project in Brazil, as demand for the metal used in the batteries that power electric vehicles is set to continue growing, keeping the market tight.The funds, together with a $40 million debt offering Mitsui granted Sigma, will allow the Canadian miner to begin building a processing plant at its Grota do Cirilo a...Read More

NYSE:AGI) ("Alamos" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its Mulatos mine produced its two millionth ounce of gold in March 2019.At the current gold price, this represents a savings of approximately $65 per ounce, which has already been incorporated into previously disclosed guidance.ThisRead full newsRead More

Gold price is driven by US bond yields, Fed interest rate expectations, and the US dollar - not supply and demand.Read full newsRead More

Here Are 3 Hot Things to Know About Stocks Right Now The Dow Jones Industrial Average finishes up Thursday after White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said "good headway" had been made in trade talks between the U.S. and China. Tesla  (TSLA - Get Report)  fell sharply after the electric carmaker reported disappointing first-quarter deliveries. Constellation Brands (STZ - Get...Read More

Antofagasta Minerals, a subsidiary of London-headquartered Antofagasta plc, has secured $1.3 billion in financing for the expansion of its Los Pelambres refined copper unit, 300km north of Santiago in Chile.Antofagasta Minerals aims to increase its annual copper concentrate production at the unit by 40,000 tonnes during the first year of operations, ramping up to an extra 70,000 tonnes p...Read More

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were lower across the board at the close of trading on Thursday April 4, with an uptick in the dollar index capping upward moves while a marginal uptick in LME stocks this morning also provided a headwind to price action. The dollar index reached a high of 97.34 over the day's trading, spurring unfavorable conditions for commodity investment. The ind...Read More

Comex copper prices failed to hold onto Wednesday's increase with a stronger US dollar weighing on the base metals complex on Thursday April 4. The copper price for May settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange dipped 3.85 cents to $2.9100 per lb. Hopes of an imminent trade deal between the United States and China boosted sentiment across commodities markets, including t...Read More

Manganese ore exports from South Africa increased by 14% year on year to reach a record 1.61 million tonnes in March, shipping data shows.The total also represents a 13% increase compared with February 2019. The vast bulk of material went to China, which accepted just over 1 million tonnes, also a 14% year-on-year increase and an 11% month-on-month...Read More

Fastmarkets is extending the consultation period for its proposal to revise the frequency and specification of its copper concentrate treatment & refining charges (TC/RC) index until April 19.With regard to the frequency, responses to the original consultation agreed that the market is in need of a weekly index.In terms of the specification, the consultation on the base and range of concentra...Read More

Metals traders in Switzerland are feeling the brunt of a pullback from trade financing activities by banker Credit Suisse, after a 2018 deal turned sour and left the bank less keen to be exposed to the high-risk, low-margin commodities business.The Zurich-based bank is a principal supplier of financing to Switzerland's commodities trading community, from crude oil to copper concentrates to alumini...Read More

With the annual Minor Metals Trade Association (MMTA) conference kicking off on Tuesday April 9 in Edinburgh, Scotland, Fastmarkets looks at the price moves in the minor metals complex since last year's conference. There is a general bearish mood in the minor metals complex heading into the conference this year in contrast to last year's multi-year highs set in most of the markets. Most of the min...Read More

Cobalt market participants have been keeping an eye out for potential non-industrial buying, such as stockpiling from China's State Reserve Bureau (SRB), since global metal prices slid to two-year lows at the beginning of this year.A spotlight has been cast on the Chinese bureau ever since it carried out extensive research into major Chinese producers' products and output in the first quarter of t...Read More

Participants in the long steel market in the European Union were hoping for price stability through April after recent sluggish demand and cautious buying activity, sources within the sector told Fastmarkets this week."The Spanish market is weak in price terms but consumption is improving," one trader said. "European mills have been more aggressive [in terms of price] so there has not been much im...Read More

Turkish steel producers remained silent in the scrap market for a third day on Thursday April 4, making no purchases of deep-sea cargoes while continuing to look for political clarity, sources told Fastmarkets.Mills continued to await official confirmation of the results of Turkey's countrywide mayoral elections, which were held on March 31.The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has c...Read More

Cobalt market participants have been keeping an eye out for potential non-industrial buying, such as stockpiling from China's State Reserve Bureau (SRB), since global metal prices slid to two-year lows at the beginning of this year.A spotlight has been cast on the Chinese bureau ever since it carried out extensive research into major Chinese producers' products and output in the first quarter of t...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 In light...Read More

Spanish crude steel production fell to 14.3 million tonnes in 2018, marginally down from 14.4 million tonnes in 2017, according to Unesid, the country's steel association.Domestic steel consumption in Spain rose by 12.6% year on year to 14.3 million tonnes in 2018."This significant rise [in consumption] was influenced by the better market conditions, but also by the notable rise in imports from th...Read More

Domestic prices for heavy steel plate in Southern Europe have been stable over the past week despite decline of slab prices and low demand, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic grade-S235JR heavy steel plate in Southern Europe was ?,?555-570 ($623-640) per tonne ex-works on April 3, unchanged over the week.The assessment reflects the deals and offers...Read More

Competition regulators in the European Union have rescheduled their decision in the creation of a 50:50 European flat-steel joint venture between ThyssenKrupp and Tata Steel Europe to June 5 this year, the European Commission (EC) said on April 1."[On Monday], ThyssenKrupp and Tata Steel submitted a comprehensive package of proposed solutions to the European Commission to obtain clearance for the...Read More

Prices for steel rebar in the United States were steady for the moment, but market sentiment has become more mixed on reports that seasonal spring demand had yet to be heard or to provide a widespread boost to marketplace activity.Fastmarkets' assessment of the price of US domestic rebar remained at $35.25-36.50 per hundredweight ($705-730 per short ton) fob mill on Wednesday April 3.At the same t...Read More