The north China steel production hub of Handan city in Hebei province has implemented stricter production cuts at steel mills from Monday November 1 to November 7.The move has been made is to mitigate weather-influenced air pollution over the period and comes just after the city finished implmenting steel production curbs in September and October to limit the crude steel output in line with China'...Read More
Prices for Japanese bulk shredded scrap have tumbled over the last week amid a drop in intake from a major Japanese blast furnace (BF)-based mill and discounted sales to South Korea.In late September, sources told Fastmarkets that shredded demand at BF-based mills had benefitted greatly from the tight supply of Shindachi prime scrap, but a reduction in shredded purchase volumes in recent weeks has...Read More
Steel prices in the United States are poised to continue decreasing at a slow pace in the coming months, Luxembourg-based steelmaker Ternium said on Wednesday November 3.Supply and demand fundamentals have started to normalize in the country, but remain far from balance, according to Ternium chief executive officer M??ximo Vedoya.Among the drivers for lower prices, the CEO cited capacity usage in...Read More
The growth in Brazil's apparent steel consumption is poised to lose some steam by the end of 2021 amid a slower pace of import activity, although real demand shows very few signs of weakening, market participants have told Fastmarkets.The country is close to setting new record-high import volumes this year due to a surge in interest for foreign material and increased needs for third-party semi-fin...Read More
Chilean copper production decreased by 6.75% in September, compared to the same month in 2020, with all major mines in the country reporting lower figures, copper commission Cochilco said on Wednesday November 3.In September, some Chilean producers like Codelco faced workers' strikes, while a few also had drought issues and reported lower content in mined ore. These caused lower output during the...Read More
Steel scrap buyers in Taiwan were bearish about the containerized scrap market, expecting to book cargoes at lower prices in the short term, market sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday November 3. Taiwan secures lower-priced cargoesVietnam reports lower offersChina prices continue downtrend amid bearish sentiment in local marketTaiwanTaiwanese buyers have secured containerized heavy melting scrap...Read More
Spot copper premiums rose in Europe during the past week, while trading interest was minimal in Shanghai and the United States, with the red metal's backwardation remaining a concern.London Metal Exchange copper's cash to three-month spread was in a $275-per-tonne backwardation on Wednesday, easing from $438 per tonne on Tuesday LME on-warrant copper stocks remain below 40,000 tonnes, while C...Read More
Turkish steel producers have continued their deep-sea scrap purchases at fairly stable prices, market participants told Fastmarkets on Wednesday November 3.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked a Baltic Sea cargo of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $490 per tonne cfr - although the volume was not clear at the time of...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were up across the board on Wednesday November 3, suggesting dips are once again finding support. The European Union's manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) out on Tuesday at 58.3, while slightly weaker than September's 58.5, still showed strong expansion, which will be helping to counter the slowdown in China.U...Read More
A summary of the financial results for German steel and metal products distributor Kl??ckner & Co SE for the July-September quarter of 2021.Summary In the third quarter of 2021, Kl??ckner beat its own record, set in the second quarter, when it achieved the highest quarterly operating income since its initial public offering in 2006. The strong performance was driven by high steel prices amid an...Read More
Zinc's three-month price on the London Metal Exchange on Wednesday November 3 touched its lowest since October 13, with prices in the base metals complex ending the day on a mixed note ahead of the US Federal Reserve Bank's Federal Open Market Committee press conference.Zinc reached $3,263 per tonne on Wednesday, its lowest price since announcements by Nyrstar and Glencore that production in Europ...Read More
Chilean copper production decreased by 6.75% in September, compared to the same month in 2020, with all major mines in the country reporting lower figures, copper commission Cochilco said on Wednesday November 3.In September, some Chilean producers like Codelco faced workers' strikes, while a few also had drought issues and reported lower content in mined ore. These caused lower output during the...Read More
Europe's domestic prices for heavy plate rose sharply in the week to Wednesday November 3 due to strong demand and surging production costs, sources told Fastmarkets.Energy prices have increased substantially across Europe, adding pressure on steel prices. A number of producers that have long-term agreements for electricity will have to renegotiate new contracts starting in January 2022, sources s...Read More
The mood in the European hot-rolled coil market was upbeat on Wednesday November 3 despite limited trading activity, sources told Fastmarkets.Bullish sentiment was supported by a recovery in domestic demand caused by restocking activity. Further support came from news of an agreement between the United States and the EU to replace Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium, imposed on the bloc's 2...Read More
Domestic stainless steel prices in China dropped sharply over the week ended Wednesday November 3, causing exporters in the country to lower their offers as well. DomesticStainless steel cold-rolled coil 2mm grade 304 domestic (Wuxi): 19,800-20,200 ($3,094-3,156) per tonne, down by 800-900 yuan per tonne from a week earlier Sentiment in the stainless steel futures market remained bearish over the...Read More
Prices for Japanese bulk shredded scrap have tumbled over the last week amid a drop in intake from a major Japanese blast furnace (BF)-based mill and discounted sales to South Korea.In late September, sources told Fastmarkets that shredded demand at BF-based mills had benefitted greatly from the tight supply of Shindachi prime scrap, but a reduction in shredded purchase volumes in recent weeks has...Read More
Prices in the market for steel billet exports from the Commonwealth of Independent States region reduced on Wednesday November 3 due to cautious buyers, sources told to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' calculation of its daily steel billet index, export, fob Black Sea, CIS was $646 per tonne, down by $7 day on day."Scrap prices in Turkey [the...Read More
Brazilian exports of iron ore slipped by 0.84% year on year in October, the country's economy ministry said on Wednesday November 3.Iron ore exports totaled 30.86 million tonnes during the month, down from 31.12 million tonnes in October 2020.Daily average volumes totaled 1.54 million tonnes, also down by 0.84% from 1.56 million tonnes in the same comparison. October had 20 workdays in both 2020 a...Read More
Demand for low-carbon aluminium is likely to remain strong into 2022 despite tight market conditions, leading executives from Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company Norsk Hydro said.Norsk Hydro chief executive officer Hilde Merete Aasheim and chief financial officer P??l Kildemo spoke to Fastmarkets after releasing their third-quarter results last week."Demand [for low-carbon material] i...Read More
Zinc's three-month price on the London Metal Exchange on Wednesday November 3 touched its lowest since October 13, with prices in the base metals complex ending the day on a mixed note ahead of the US Federal Reserve Bank's Federal Open Market Committee press conference.Zinc reached $3,263 per tonne on Wednesday, its lowest price since announcements by Nyrstar and Glencore that production in Europ...Read More