Domestic alumina prices in China continued to climb in the week to Thursday October 21, with new transactions being made on an as-needed basis, Fastmarkets has heard.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for alumina, metallurgical grade, exw China, was 3,900-4,150 yuan ($610-649) per tonne on Thursday, up by 100-150 yuan per tonne from 3,800-4,000 yuan last week.Alumina prices have now reached a 13...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday October 21 that are worth another look.Rio Tinto will invest $7.5 billion to reduce emissions and meet its carbon targets earlier than planned, the company announced on Wednesday September 20.The government of the United...Read More
Turkish domestic rebar and wire-rod prices have continued to rise over the past week due to higher scrap costs and a weaker lira, market sources said on Thursday October 21.Turkish steel mills have continued their deep-sea scrap purchases with prices exceeding $500 per tonne for HMS 1&2 (80:20).Fastmarkets' calculation of its daily index for steel scrap HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix) United States origin, cf...Read More
The Cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets assessed Cobalt...Read More
Spot trading for hot-rolled coil in China stagnated in the afternoon of Thursday October 21 after the continued tumble in futures prices kept market participants cautious.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,710-5,750 yuan ($892-898) per tonne, narrowing by 10-30 yuan per tonneSpot HRC was traded at 5,710-5,750 yuan per tonne in Shanghai on Thursday morning, when the most-traded HRC contract on the...Read More
The London Metal Exchange three-month copper price was trading below $10,000 per tonne during morning trading on Thursday October 21, while the backwardation in the metal's cash/three-month spread had narrowed to below $300 per tonne.This comes after the exchange imposed a series of temporary measures designed to cool the market.The three-month copper price was at $9,990 per tonne at 10am, down by...Read More
Iron ore prices were largely down on Thursday October 21, following the bearish mood in terms of steel prices and demand, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $116.93 per tonne,down $7.14 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $118.68 per tonne,down $6.53 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $88.98 per tonne,down $5.99 per tonn...Read More
Market participants were aloof following the London Metal Exchange's recent measures imposed to rein in the spike in copper spreads, but backwardations have eased, as the Exchange intended.The LME imposed a series of temporary rules on copper trading on Tuesday October 19. The measures included a limit on tomorrow/next spread orders of higher than 0.5% of the previous day's cash price and a requir...Read More
The Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lbtrade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets assessed Cobalt...Read More
Seaborne coking coal cfr prices increased following a trade on Thursday, while despite a fall in the futures market, coking coal prices in the physical market stayed reasonably strong, sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $615.52 per tonne, up $3.40 per tonneHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $565.06 per tonne, up $1.69 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $...Read More
Reduced operations at steel rerolling mills in several key cities across China have hurt prices for steel billet in China's local and import markets, sources said on Thursday October 21.The northern Chinese steelmaking hub Tangshan ordered rerolling mills in its Fengrun district to suspend production from October 21 to 31 to improve air quality, market participants told Fastmarkets.The production...Read More
Turkish reinforcing bar and wire rod export prices continued to increase over the past week due to strengthening scrap costs, market participants told Fastmarkets on Thursday October 21.Turkish steel mills continued their deep-sea ferrous scrap purchases this week, with prices exceeding $500 per tonne for an 80:20 mix of No1 and No2 heavy melting scrap.Fastmarkets' daily index for steel scrap HMS...Read More
A top European pension fund has sold its interest in Swiss commodity trader and miner Glencore, citing sustainability risks, including cobalt production in Africa. A major global pension fund, ABP announced that it has sold its shares in mining/trading firm Glencore on Friday October 15. "ABP has sold its interest in Glencore. The mining company faces...Read More
Base metal prices on the London Metal Exchange were down across the board at the 5pm close of trading on Thursday October 21, with market participants beginning to sell off material following the recent price rally.The three-month aluminium price fell by 5.2% to $2,910 per tonne on Thursday, down from $3,069.50 per tonne at Wednesday's 5pm close after trading in large volumes and more than 34,180...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key ferro-alloy forecast highlights:Bulk and noble alloys both moved largely in line with our price forecasts globally over the past month, though several markets surprised to the upside, exceeding our forecast gains. Stronger-than-forecast pricing momentum was primarily triggered by supply shortages in numerous...Read More
Fastmarkets has modified the name of one of its Japan steel scrap export prices to clarify the exact grade being assessed in the market.In Japan, prime scrap is referred to as Shindachi, which comprises Shindachi Bara, an unpressed new production busheling scrap that is the most commonly traded prime scrap in the Japan's export market, and Shindachi press bundle, which is more commonly traded in t...Read More
China's domestic stainless steel prices were unchanged over the week ended Wednesday October 20, but market participants are expecting them to drop on increased supply.DomesticStainless steel cold-rolled coil 2mm grade 304 domestic (Wuxi): 21,000-21,200 ($3,284-3,316) per tonne, unchanged from a week earlier. Demand for stainless steel was persistently week during the week, resulting in no change...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key North American steel forecast highlights:US prices for hot-rolled coil moved in line with our forecasts in August, averaging $1,910 per ton, within 1% accuracy of our forecast of $1,925 per ton. The market has achieved much-needed stability in recent weeks, with prices fluctuating in the range of $1,900-1,94...Read More
European steel companies must scale up their decarbonization technologies within the coming decade or risk exhausting their allocated emissions allowances early, according to a report released on Tuesday September 14.The report, "Steeling for Net Zero," by climate researcher Industry Tracker, found that selected European steel companies have less than 26% of their carbon budget remaining and must...Read More
Seaborne coking coal cfr prices increased following a trade on Thursday, while despite a fall in the futures market, coking coal prices in the physical market stayed reasonably strong, sources said.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $615.52 per tonne, up $3.40 per tonneHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $565.06 per tonne, up $1.69 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $...Read More