Galvanizers in Europe are largely resistant to volatile and rising zinc prices, senior executives in the industry said at the Metal Bulletin Zinc and its Markets Seminar in London.Continuous and batch galvanizing processes are able to pass the higher costs of zinc onto their customers for a range of reasons, the executives said on March 23.For continuous galvanizing, where steel sheets are process...Read More
Price losses have deepened in the Chinese ferro-silicon spot market as restarted production increasingly weighs on supplier sentiment, although demand from the magnesium market is giving some support. China market weakness persists... ...but Mg sector demand stems price losses Europe eases with lower offer pricesUS suppliers cut prices amid competition Renewed supply drags down Ch...Read More
Chinese charge chrome and spot ferro-chrome slipped slightly on Friday March 23 in anticipation of lower Chinese ferro-chrome tender prices for April, while tightening supply pushed up US prices. Chinese charge chrome and spot ferro-chrome prices fall US high-carbon ferro-chrome quotations rise South Korea and Japan anticipate softening markets Stability reigns on European ferro...Read More
London-based metals merchant Concord Resources is eyeing opportunities brought about by resource nationalism and protectionism, after announcing results that show how the company's rapid expansion accelerated through 2017. Concord tripled its net profit after tax, bringing in $20.73 million over 2017 - its second full trading year - representing a 23.9% gross return on average equity. Annuall...Read More
Consumer resistance to recent high prices pushed low-grade manganese ore prices lower on Friday March 23, while manganese alloy prices in Europe and the United States were unchanged in quiet market conditions. Consumer backlash drives low-grade ore prices lowerHigh-grade ore prices keep edging upChinese alloy futures and physical prices weaken furtherAlloy prices weaken in IndiaAlloy prices hold...Read More
Antimony prices fell last week in Europe after more material reached warehouses in Rotterdam while demand remained weak; the Chinese market continued to be subdued lacking further direction.Metal Bulletin assessed MMTA standard grade II antimony in-warehouse Rotterdam prices at $8,500-8,675 per tonne, down 0.7% from Wednesday's assessment and down from $8,600-8,800 per tonne level the week before....Read More
The Chinese silicon export market continued to weaken over the past week due to soft demand, while prices in the European market were unchanged.Metal Bulletin assessed the Chinese grade 553 silicon export price at $1,960-2,000 per tonne on Friday March 23, down from $1,980-2,030 per tonne in the prior week, with sellers lowering their offer prices to entice business from otherwise uninterested buy...Read More
Turkish steel producers have entered a third week with no deep-sea trading, while offers and bids in the market kept the daily scrap indices largely flat, sources said on Monday March 26.Metal Bulletin's daily index for Northern European HMS 1&2 (80:20) closed the day at $368.10 per tonne cfr, up by only $0.41 per tonne day-on-day.The daily index for similar US-origin scrap closed at $378.08 per t...Read More
Turkish domestic auto bundle scrap prices remained largely steady over the past week, with most steel mills in the country keeping their buying prices unchanged, while ship scrap prices dipped slightly, sources said on Monday March 26.Metal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for domestic auto bundle (DKP grade) scrap in Turkey was unchanged at TRY1,300-1,520 ($327-382) per tonne delivered on...Read More
Comex copper prices on Monday March 26 remain at a December 2017 low with a potential trade war between the United States and China, along with increased warehouse stocks, weighing on the complex. Copper for May settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange declined a further 1.80 cents or 0.6% to $2.9750 per lb. The red metal was pressured by a 37,575 tonne delivery into Lo...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange are down across the board by an average of 0.5% this morning, Monday March 26, led by a 1.1% fall in copper to $6,577 per tonne. Volume has been high with 12,433 lots traded as of 07:18 am London time.In precious metals, gold prices are off by 0.2% at $1,344.89 per oz, while silver and platinum prices are little changed and palladium prices are up by...Read More
Exporters of hot-rolled coil (HRC) and cold-rolled coil (CRC) from the Commonwealth of Independent States adopted a wait-and-see attitude toward the market in the week ended Monday March 26, trying to avoid price declines, sources told Metal Bulletin."Prices are coming down and the market [for CIS-origin flat steel] seems to be frozen," a trader said.Metal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for CI...Read More
China's stainless flat steel exports experienced a sharp year on year increase in February, although they dropped month on month.China exported 243,205 tonnes of stainless flat steel products, up 46,767 tonnes or 23.81% from 196,438 tonnes a year earlier, according to Chinese customs data released on Monday March 26. Last month's volume, however, is down 42,095 tonnes or 14.75% from January's 285,...Read More
Import prices for re-rolling-grade hot-rolled coil sold into Vietnam continued to trend downward on lower demand caused by fears over a looming trade war between China and United States.Metal Bulletin's assessment of HRC import prices in Southeast Asia - which mainly looks at Chinese 2-3mm SAE1006 HRC and equivalent grades sold into Vietnam - was $600-620 per tonne for the week ended Monday March...Read More
The threat of a trade war between two of the largest world economies - the United States and China - has dragged down Asian steel prices over the past week.Flat and long steel prices showed big falls on Friday March 23 when end-users' demand for hot-rolled coil, wire rod, ferrous scrap and steel billets practically vanished while buyers waited for further declines.Fears of a trade war between the...Read More
The biggest steel producer in the United Arab Emirates, Emirates Steel, increased its rebar price to 2,412 dirhams ($657) per tonne ex-works for April production on Monday March 26.This is up from the previous 2,340 dirhams per tonne ex-works, a price that had been unchanged since January 16.Compatriot producer Conares Steel is now offering rebar...Read More
The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for rebar, wire rod, steel beams and other long steel products. Latest transactions: rebarRebarUAE, domestic (Emirates Steel), rebar, offered at 2,412 dirhams ($657) per...Read More
Turkish steel producers have entered a third week with no deep-sea trading, while offers and bids in the market kept the daily scrap indices largely flat, sources said on Monday March 26.Metal Bulletin's daily index for Northern European HMS 1&2 (80:20) closed the day at $368.10 per tonne cfr, up by only $0.41 per tonne day-on-day.The daily index for similar US-origin scrap closed at $378.08 per t...Read More
Turkish domestic auto bundle scrap prices remained largely steady over the past week, with most steel mills in the country keeping their buying prices unchanged, while ship scrap prices dipped slightly, sources said on Monday March 26.Metal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for domestic auto bundle (DKP grade) scrap in Turkey was unchanged at TRY1,300-1,520 ($327-382) per tonne delivered on...Read More
The seaborne iron ore concentrate market continued to fall on Monday March 26 in line with sharp dips in the fines market, with the trade tensions between the United States and China affecting general market confidence.The weekly Metal Bulletin 66% Fe Iron Ore Concentrate Index was $88.19 per tonne cfr China on March 23. This was down by $6.45 per tonne, or 6.8%, from a week earlier.The daily Meta...Read More