The recent downward correction in aluminium prices and premiums was expected after a strong uptrend in 2021, but tighter supply from China is set to continue supporting high prices, Brazilian aluminium producer Companhia Brasileira do Alum?-nio (CBA) said on Tuesday November 9.Chinese aluminium output cuts, meant to reduce carbon emissions, deepened a global supply deficit in the third quarter. Es...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 alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb at...Read More
London Metal Exchange aluminium stocks dropped below the 1-million-tonne mark for the first time since October 2019 and on-warrant volumes were at their lowest in nearly 16 years on Tuesday November 9, while the metal complex's prices were little changed from the end of trading on Monday.There was a 21,925-tonne fresh cancellation of aluminium on Tuesday, spread mostly between warehouses in Singap...Read More
Domestic demand for rebar in China weakened further on Tuesday November 9, causing prices to narrow downward. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 4,900-4,940 yuan ($766-773) per tonne, narrowing downward by 40 yuan per tonneMany traders lowered their rebar offers on losses in the futures market with the exception of a few, who maintained theirs.But both approaches failed to generate interest among...Read More
Prices for hot-rolled coil in the United States weakened after market participants said lead times are narrowing and service centers are not as hungry for inventory this month.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $93.17 per hundredweight ($1,863.40 per short ton) on Tuesday November 9, a decrease of 1% from $94.11 per cwt on Monday and down by 0.7% from $93...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were down across the board on Tuesday November 9, but those on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were mainly firmer while they followed the strength seen on the LME on Monday, when the complex closed up by an average of 1.2%.While some of China's data shows a struggling economy, recovery and infrastructure spending elsewhere bode well for metals demand.W...Read More
Prices for steel rebar and billet imports into the United Arab Emirates increased during the week ended Tuesday November 9, although offer prices for billet were higher than the rebar deal prices because of a shortage of the semi-finished material, sources have told Fastmarkets.The reason for the high billet price, compared with rebar, was that most billet producers in Oman have sold large quantit...Read More
The International Rebar Producers & Exporters Association (Irepas) continues to believe that prospects for global long steel markets remain good and indicate a satisfactory first quarter of 2022.The global long steel products market is stable at the moment and should remain so in the next quarter despite many uncertainties including power shortages and costs, logistical challenges, the Evergrande...Read More
An overview of the chrome ore and alloy markets and their latest price moves in Asia, Europe and the United States on Tuesday November 9.China The domestic spot ferro-chrome market weakened with suppliers lowering their offer prices in an attempt to profitably destock. The weaker ferro-chrome spot market also fed into the imported charge chrome market However, Taiyuan Iron & Steel (Tisco) and...Read More
Brazil's automotive production dropped by 24.8% year on year in October amid a global microchip shortage and a stoppage of truckers in the Port of Santos, S??o Paulo.Light vehicle production totaled 177,900 units last month, compared with 236,500 units a year earlier.Anfavea, the national association of motor vehicle manufacturers, said that production was affected by suspensions among carmakers b...Read More
Denis Reuter, chief operating officer of major German recycler TSR, has been appointed as president of the Bureau of International Recycling's (BIR) ferrous division.Reuter succeeds outgoing president Gregory Schnitzer of Sims Metal Management, who had been appointed to the post in November 2018.In his capacity as division president, Reuter will become a member of the BIR executive committee and w...Read More
Sellers of physical copper are holding out for a higher premium for 2022 contracts in the United States.No major deals were reported by the end of the American Copper Council (ACC) fall meeting in Miami, Florida this past week, although there was talk of a US copper premium in the 10-cents-per-lb range.In the US, Fastmarkets assessed the copper grade 1 cathode premium, ddp Midwest US at 8-9 cents...Read More
Zinc producers in China's southwestern province of Yunnan should be able to fully resume their operations by mid-June, sources said.Yunnan will remove its power restrictions by the end of June that have stunted local zinc output, the provincial energy bureau said.A few zinc smelters in Yunnan have already resumed production, however, sources that spoke to Fastmarkets said.Production capa...Read More
Mexican ferrous scrap prices were little changed in the week ended Friday November 5, with buyers passing on minor price adjustments to certain grades.Scrap sellers were putting strong pressure on clients, trying to apply price increases after the United States market reached settlements for November with increases of $20 per gross ton in prime scrap grades, and $40-60 per gross ton on most obsole...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices fell on Tuesday November 9 amid weak demand for steel in northern China (due to the colder weather) and rising inventories at Chinese ports, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $92.30 per tonne, down $1.52 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $93.46 per tonne, down $1.09 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qi...Read More
Mexican ferrous scrap prices were little changed in the week ended Friday November 5, with buyers passing on minor price adjustments to certain grades.Scrap sellers were putting strong pressure on clients, trying to apply price increases after the United States market reached settlements for November with increases of $20 per gross ton in prime scrap grades, and $40-60 per gross ton on most obsole...Read More
Ukrainian scrap metal industry association Vtormet has said that a proposed increase in the export duty applied to ferrous scrap should not go ahead without public discussion, in a letter sent to Ukraine's economy ministry on Monday November 8.In an earlier letter to the association dated November 2, the ministry confirmed its intention to impose an increase in the export duty on ferrous scrap to...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 18 points in pre-opening trade.Index futures moved lower following release of the October Consumer Price Index at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus was an increase of 0.6% versus a gain of 0.4% in September. Actual was an increase of 0.9%. Excluding food and energy, consensus was an increase of 0.4% versus a gain of 0.2% in Sept...Read More
A summary of the financial performance of Brazilian aluminium producer Companhia Brasileira de Alum?-nio (CBA) for the third quarter of 2021, according to its earnings report released on Monday November 8.In brief?EUR?Sales volumes rose during the quarter, on an annual basis, amid stronger demand from the transportation sector, especially for heavy vehicles and equipment, and from construction.?EU...Read More
Inner Mongolia, China's ferro-chrome production heartland, has imposed restrictions on its metallurgical sector in a move that has fueled the high-carbon ferro-chrome markets in China and Europe, and although this may ease off, the gains were unlikely to be lost while alloy ramp-ups continue, sources have told Fastmarkets.The decision to restrict energy consumption in Inner Mongolia since December...Read More