Aluminum producer Alcoa plans to restart some curtailed capacity at its Portland Aluminium joint venture in Victoria, Australia, with more production at the smelter set to come online in the third quarter of 2022, the company said on Sunday November 7.The process to restart the additional capacity, idled since 2009 and totaling 35,000 tonnes per year, will begin immediately, the United States-head...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday November 8 that are worth another look.The United States is looking carefully at steel projects in Southeast Asia in which China has invested, after US trade representative Katherine Tai said that she supported updating US trade laws to combat the circumvention of...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday November 8 that are worth another look.The United States is looking carefully at steel projects in Southeast Asia in which China has invested, after US trade representative Katherine Tai said that she supported updating US trade laws to combat the circumvention of...Read More
The manganese seaborne and portside ore markets diverged during the week to Friday November 5, with the higher-grade cif market strengthening on higher offers and fot prices weakening on the softer alloy market.Fastmarkets' manganese ore 44% Mn, cif Tianjin price index was calculated at $5.80 per dry metric tonne unit (dmtu) on Friday, an increase of 22 cents (+3.9%) from $5.58 per dmtu one week e...Read More
China's decarbonization drive could result in increased demand for graphite electrodes amid the global trend toward more steelmaking based on electric-arc furnaces (EAFs), although supply risks may continue in the near term against a backdrop of energy controls, sources have told Fastmarkets."[Increased] EAF [usage] could be a general trend for steelmaking in China, [because this] is what national...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Friday November 5.Key drivers?EUR?There were higher bids for gallium in the market but producers seemed reluctant to sell. Some producers declined bids that were higher than the current price, believing that the price would continue to rise.?EUR?The metal's price...Read More
China imported 91.61 million tonnes of iron ore in October 2021, down by 14% from 106.74 million tonnes one year earlier and 4% lower month on month - its fifth consecutive monthly decline, according to Chinese customs data released on Sunday November 7.In January-October, China imported a total of 934.6 million tonnes of iron ore, down by 4.2% from the corresponding period in 2020.Demand for...Read More
The domestic market for hot-rolled coil in Europe remained quiet on Monday November 8, with prices showing little change, sources told Fastmarkets.Producers were, however, looking to achieve higher prices for the first quarter of 2022 because of the surging costs for raw materials, transport and energy.Expected restocking activity at distributors was also supporting market sentiment. Notably, seve...Read More
Details of new investment by Egypt's Ezz Steel, including the possible acquisition of a stake in another steel company, will be disclosed in a timely manner after financial evaluation and legal audit are completed, the company said in a statement to the country's stock exchange on Sunday November 7.There were rumors in the Egyptian steel market that Ezz Steel, the country's biggest steel producer,...Read More
Modest gains were seen in base metals futures prices at the 5pm close of trading on the London Metal Exchange on Monday November 8 because of a weaker US Dollar Index, which supported price increases.Aluminium led the gains, its price increasing by almost 2% to $2,605.00 per tonne, up from $2,556.50 per tonne at Friday's 5pm close. This rise followed a 5% decline in the three-month price for the l...Read More
The gap between offers and bids for long steel products from the Commonwealth of Independent States widened in the week to Monday November 8, with higher offers from Ukrainian mills but reduced availability of material.Russian mills were mostly absent from the export business due to the current favorable conditions in their local market.Meanwhile, bids from customers and estimates of workable pric...Read More
Swiss packaging company Aluflexpack has achieved Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Performance Standard Certification at its Drni?? production site in Croatia, and also Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard Certification at both Drni?? and Einsiesdeln in Switzerland, it was announced on Monday November 8.The company provides "flexible packaging" solutions for a number of international brands across...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 d...Read More
Seaborne iron ore concentrate and pellet prices fell during the week to Friday November 5 amid weaker demand from Chinese steel mills, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets iron ore indicesPellet premium over 65% Fe fines, cfr China: $55.70 per tonne, up by $8.60 per tonne66% Fe concentrate, cfr Qingdao: $117.73 per tonne, down by $19.75 per tonne65% Fe blast furnace pellet, cfr Qingdao: $169.69 pe...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mainly weaker on the morning of Monday November 8, but those on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were mainly firmer as they followed the strength seen on the LME on Friday.US Congress' passing of the long-awaited infrastructure bill bodes well for the metals Chinese trade data show a record surplus, but weaker than expected imports highlight weaker...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mainly weaker on the morning of Monday November 8, but those on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were mainly firmer as they followed the strength seen on the LME on Friday.US Congress' passing of the long-awaited infrastructure bill bodes well for the metals Chinese trade data show a record surplus, but weaker than expected imports highlight weaker...Read More
The gap between offers and bids for long steel products from the Commonwealth of Independent States widened in the week to Monday November 8, with higher offers from Ukrainian mills but reduced availability of material.Russian mills were mostly absent from the export business due to the current favorable conditions in their local market.Meanwhile, bids from customers and estimates of workable pric...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were mixed this morning. S&P 500 futures were unchanged in pre-opening trade.U.S. equity index futures were virtually unchanged following release of the October Producer Price Index at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus calls for an increase of 0.6% versus a gain of 0.5% in September. Actual was an increase of 0.6%. Excluding food and energy, consensus was an increase of 0.5% ver...Read More
Brazilian steel slab export prices remained stable in the week ended Friday November 5, with no fresh deals heard and negotiations for January shipments still proceeding at a slow pace.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel slab, export, fob main port Brazil, was $730-740 per tonne on Friday, unchanged from the previous week.The higher end of the assessment corresponded to prices in the...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil increased across the European Union during the week to Friday November 5, despite slow trading activity in the spot market.Despite the lack of trading, sentiment remains positive in anticipation of restocking by distributors, upward pressure on prices from high energy and transport costs, and because of the agreement reached between the United States and the EU...Read More