An order enforcing a halt to nickel pig iron (NPI) production in Huade County in central Inner Mongolia over the past two weeks is unlikely to have a significant impact on prices for the material, market participants said on the sidelines of the Asian Ferro-Alloys conference in Hong Kong on Thursday March 22. "From March 5-20, when China's National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Politi...Read More
The Turkish deep-sea scrap import market had another quiet day on Thursday March 22, with the country's steel mills absent from trading for a second week, sources said.There has been no significant trading since the mills in the Middle Eastern country stepped back from the deep-sea scrap markets on March 9, when the United States applied a 25% duty on imports of steel products following its Sectio...Read More
Asian zinc alloy users from different sectors are quickening their pace to test new alternative raw materials following the price hike last year, major zinc alloy distributor Lee Kee Group told Metal Bulletin in an interview."We talk very often with downstream zinc users. For substitution, the zinc price is only one of the concerns. Yet the high price gap between zinc and aluminium has definitely...Read More
Comex copper prices failed to maintain Wednesday's gains in US morning trading on Thursday March 22 with the dollar recovering after falling under pressure from the US Federal Reserve meeting. Copper for May settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 2.30 cents or 0.8% to $3.0365 per lb. The red metal saw relief yesterday after the United States central bank indicate...Read More
Domestic prices for heavy steel plate in Europe were stable over the past week, but increasing production costs have left steelmakers bullish about the market, sources told Metal Bulletin."Slab prices are high, so we will need to achieve higher plate prices to compensate rising production costs," a representative of an Italian re-roller said.Metal Bulletin's assessment of prices for domestic grade...Read More
Eastern China's domestic hot-rolled coil prices recovered some losses on Thursday March 22 following the release of data showing a reduction in inventory levels.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,880-3,920 yuan ($613-619) per tonne, up by 20-30 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,870-3,900 yuan per tonne, unchangedData released by an industry information provider on Thursday showed that mil...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-dipped galvanized coil (HDG) in the European Union were largely unchanged this week, sources told Metal Bulletin.The situation in the HDG segment follows a similar trend seen in the hot-rolled coil (HRC) and cold-rolled coil (CRC) markets - prices were stable with buyers holding back from concluding any new deals until market direction becomes clearer, according to...Read More
The temporary exemption granted to EU countries from steel import tariffs in the United States is a "cause for optimism" but action should be taken to avoid a glut of imports from countries which will be affected by the measures, industry group UK Steel said on Thursday March 22.United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer confirmed on Thursday that import tariffs for steel and aluminium f...Read More
The Turkish long steel export market has remained sluggish because of the uncertainty created by the Section 232 tariffs imposed by the United States, and prices have started to fall, sources said on Thursday March 22.Turkish steel producers have reduced their rebar export offers to $595-605 per tonne fob on an actual weight basis, while demand for such material was significantly low.Sources belie...Read More
Falling billet prices and weakening demand over Section 232 uncertainty sent Turkish domestic long steel prices down over the past week, sources said on Thursday March 22.Metal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for domestic rebar was $610-625 per tonne ex-works, down from the last week's $615-625 per tonne. The domestic rebar price in the Istanbul region was $625-630 per tonne, and $610-615...Read More
Exporters of CIS-origin pig iron have been focusing on the market in the United States, where demand is higher and prices are expected to rise, unlike in the Italian market where prices have reached a peak, sources told Metal Bulletin this week.Metal Bulletin's export price assessment on Thursday March 22 for high-manganese pig iron from the CIS region widened to $370-395 per tonne fob Black Sea,...Read More
The Turkish deep-sea scrap import market had another quiet day on Thursday March 22, with the country's steel mills absent from trading for a second week, sources said.There has been no significant trading since the mills in the Middle Eastern country stepped back from the deep-sea scrap markets on March 9, when the United States applied a 25% duty on imports of steel products following its Sectio...Read More
The physical iron ore market did not see too much activity on Thursday March 22 despite more blast furnaces in north China being allowed to return to production.Key driversSteelmakers in north China's steelmaking hub of Tangshan can now operate according to their off-peak production plans now that the winter heating season is over, subject to them meeting their prescribed emissions standards, acco...Read More
Turkish billet prices have weakened in line with poor export demand for the country's finished long steel products and falling steel prices in China, sources said on Thursday March 22.Suppliers in the CIS region have reduced their billet offers to Turkey by around $5-10 per tonne to $560-565 per tonne cfr, but Turkish mills were showing no interest in such prices yet.Metal Bulletin's weekly price....Read More
Domestic prices for rebar and import prices for steel billet in Egypt both increased this week even though demand has started to fall, Metal Bulletin has heard.Beshay Steel was offering rebar at E ?12,996 ($736) per tonne ex-works on Saturday March 17, and the country's biggest producer, Ezz Steel, has been offering rebar at E ?12,790 per tonne ex-works since March 14, including 14% VAT.Metal Bull...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices started retreating again on Thursday March 22 after holding steady for a day with traders eager to offload their materials.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,610-3,700 yuan ($570-585) per tonne, down 30-60 yuan per tonne Northern China (Beijing): 3,830-3,860 yuan per tonne, down 20 yuan per tonne Trading activity was low on Wednesday when traders kept their prices u...Read More
Stainless steel prices in East Asia remained in a downward trend over the past week amid soft demand and a softening of the nickel market. Metal Bulletin's assessment of prices for benchmark 304 stainless 2mm trimmed CRC was $2,170-2,250 per tonne cif East Asian ports for the week ended Wednesday March 21, narrowing downward by $10 per tonne from $2,170-2,260 per tonne cif a week earlier. Metal Bu...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 22 (SMM) – Nonferrous metals futures registered gains for the most part on Thursday March 22 except for SHFE nickel which closed slightly lower. SHFE lead gained 3%, zinc rose 1.6% and copper climbed close to 1%.The ferrous complex was weaker as iron ore saw a narrower rise of 1%. Coke edged up but coking coal fell close to 2%. Hot-rolled coil dipped almost 1% an...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 22 (SMM) – Nonferrous metals futures registered gains for the most part on Thursday March 22 except for SHFE nickel which closed slightly lower. SHFE lead gained 3%, zinc rose 1.6% and copper climbed close to 1%.The ferrous complex was weaker as iron ore saw a narrower rise of 1%. Coke edged up but coking coal fell close to 2%. Hot-rolled coil dipped almost 1% an...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 22 (SMM) – Nonferrous metals futures registered gains for the most part on Thursday March 22 except for SHFE nickel which closed slightly lower. SHFE lead gained 3%, zinc rose 1.6% and copper climbed close to 1%.The ferrous complex was weaker as iron ore saw a narrower rise of 1%. Coke edged up but coking coal fell close to 2%. Hot-rolled coil dipped almost 1% an...Read More