South American import prices for flat steel were almost unchanged this week because of the low levels of demand, but rumors of price increases for specific materials were heard among buyers and traders.Current prices from China were already considered high by clients, which were reported to be holding large inventories.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for South American imported cold-rolled co...Read More
Transaction prices for grade-304 stainless steel cold-rolled (CR) sheet in Europe remained static in the week ended Friday April 12 despite some mills continuing to offer material at inflated levels.Offer prices for grade-304 CR sheets were heard as high as ?,?2,350 ($2,648) per tonne delivered during the week, the same level as in the previous week.Despite these offers, Fastmarkets' price assessm...Read More
Chinese trading house ASK Resources has moved into the European market, hiring Guillaume Taib to open an office in Geneva, Switzerland.ASK had a turnover of $900 million in 2018, trading mainly in copper but also in zinc, aluminium and nickel,...Read More
The three-month zinc price on the London Metal Exchange moved above $2,900 per tonne at the close of trading on Friday April 12, while volumes traded reached their highest level since March 15 at 12,000 lots exchanged.Price action in zinc has been volatile so far in April, reaching a monthly high of $2,938 per tonne on April 8 before dipping to a low of $2,852 per tonne on April 9. LME stocks rema...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More
Fastmarkets MB has corrected its aluminium scrap cast and mixed turnings prices in Europe, which were published incorrectly on April 12 due to an error.Fastmarkets MB has corrected its aluminium scrap cast and mixed turnings prices in Europe which were published incorrectly on April 12 due to an error.The European cast aluminium, free market assessment was incorrectly published at ?,?955-975 per t...Read More
Category-I London Metal Exchange broker Sucden Financial has released its latest financial results in which it recorded a net profit of ?16.4 million ($21.4 million) in the year ended December 31, 2018, while net revenues over the year were ?63 million, the company said in a statement this week.The company's profit increase last year comes against a 2017 net profit of ?10.7 million, a 33% incre...Read More
Sentiment was unusually bearish at this year's Cesco week in Santiago, Chile, with copper market participants increasingly concerned that sluggish demand in China will limit the upside potential of the red metal price. The annual gathering in the Chilean capital on April 7-12 is traditionally characterized by strong attendance by miners from copper-rich South America and thus typically boasts a po...Read More
Export prices for Brazil-origin steel slab were flat for a third consecutive week on Friday April 12, with buyers resisting attempts to increase prices for June-shipment material.Fastmarkets' weekly assessment for Brazilian slab exports were stable at $510-550 per tonne fob on Friday.Few volumes have been traded in the spot market and procurement remains high, but buyers were not ac...Read More
The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for steel billet, slab and bloom. Latest transaction: billetBilletChina, billet,...Read More
Domestic prices for rebar in Poland have been stable over the week supported by good demand, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday April 12.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic 12mm B500B-grade rebar in Poland was unchanged at 2,220-2,290 zloty ($584-603) per tonne ex-works on April 12.The assessment reflects deals and offers heard in the market. Polish steelmakers have been trading...Read More
Prices for coated-steel products in Turkey decreased in the seven days to Friday April 12, with demand weak in the domestic market.Demand failed to improve because of the uncertainty after local elections held across the country on March 31, and the continuing weakening of the Turkish lira.Unofficially, the Justice & Development Party (AKP) - the party of national government - won the majority of...Read More
Most prices for steel coil products in Turkey decreased over the week ended Friday April 12, with buying activity remaining subdued.Demand in the local market was still weak because of the uncertainty after mayoral elections held across the country on March 31, and the continuing weakness of the Turkish lira.Unofficially, the Justice & Development Party (AKP) - the party of national government - w...Read More
Global ferrous scrap prices were on a downward trend this week due to thin demand from steel mills, which expected spot prices to continue to fall in the near term. Spot prices in Vietnam bucked the trend, stable despite limited offers for HMS 1&2 (80:20) materials. Turkey scrap demand limited US ferrous scrap market likely to continue downtrend Kanto Tetsugen tender concludes at ?23,300 ($209) p...Read More
The price of shredded ferrous scrap imported into India moved down this week with deals done at lower levels compared with last week, sources said on Friday April 12. Fastmarkets' weekly index for containerized imports of shredded scrap into India fell to $331.32 per tonne cfr on Friday from $334.45 per tonne cfr on April 5. This week, deals were heard for shredded scrap done at $330 and $333...Read More
European traders have complained of being priced out of the market for domestic grade-316 stainless steel scrap because of high demand from Asian importers, Fastmarkets heard on Friday April 12.One European trader was offered grade-316 scrap solids at ?,?1,650 ($1,859) per tonne delivered, but declined the deal because it did not think it would be able to achieve a positive margin when selling the...Read More
Turkish steel mills ended the week in silence on Friday April 12, booking no new deep-sea cargoes, while market participants awaited fresh bookings to get an idea of the market direction, sources told Fastmarkets. No new deep sea-cargoes came to light on Friday, but negotiations continue between mills and traders, with many expecting prices to continue moving downward into next week.Some traders r...Read More
Prices for light iron steel scrap in the United Kingdom were rolled over for a fourth week on Friday April 12, supported by the rollover of the monthly ferrous prices, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for UK grade-5C ferrous scrap on an inter-merchant basis was ?90-110 ($118-144) per tonne on April 10. The price has remained unchanged since March 15.The flat week...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices continued to rise on Friday April 12, with high-grade materials such as Iron Ore Carajas (IOCJ) continuing to outperform other grades.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $96.47 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up by $0.82 per tonne.MB 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines Index: $95.74 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up by $0.97 per tonne.MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index-Low Alumina: $98.32 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up by...Read More
The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for iron ore, pig iron, direct-reduced iron and other steelmaking raw materials.Latest transaction: iron oreIron oreRio Tinto, tender, 170,000 tonnes of 61% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, traded at $94.20 per tonne cfr China, laycan May 1-10.Vale,...Read More