Nickel premiums in China and cut cathode premiums in Europe have both moved higher this week, while the rest of the nickel market was flat during the seasonal summer quiet period.
China premiums climb as import window closes European cut cathodes rise; rest of market flat Demand lull leaves US premiums unchangedChina nickel cif premiums higher on financing needsMetal Bulletin assessed the cif Shanghai full-plate nickel premium at $160-170 per tonne, up from $150-165 per tonne during the Tuesday pricing session, with deals reported in the new range.Shanghai-bonded nickel premiums held steady at $160-180 per tonne on Tuesday amid sparse trades, flat from the prior week, according to Metal Bulletin's latest assessment. The import window has closed again, and the import losses between the most traded contract on the Wuxi Stainless Exchange and three-month contract in London Metal Exchange hovered around $22-66 per tonne over the week, according to market participants.The closed import window has deterred buyers' appetite for Nornickel plates in a bonded zone, while cargo holders were not pressurized to sell due...