IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from August 6

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Tuesday August 6 that are worth another look.

Lithium producer Orocobre and joint-venture partner Toyota Tsusho Corp have started construction on what will be the first lithium hydroxide plant in Japan.

UC Rusal has suspended operations at Russia's biggest alumina plant in Achinsk due to a series of blasts at a Russian military base nearby, sources close to the matter told Fastmarkets on Tuesday August 6.

Merafe Resources' earnings fell by 45% in the first half of this year due to lower chrome ore and ferro-chrome prices, it said. Additionally, the company said that ferro-chrome production cuts are likely due to the current low pricing environment, prompting a rebound in the market when supply surpluses shrink.

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing introduced six dollar-dominated base metals mini-contracts on August 5 to provide more convenient arbitrage or hedging tools and a lower trading threshold for investors globally.

The weakening of the yuan to a decade-low against the United States' dollar is causing a lot of disruption to steel trading markets in Asia, sources told Fastmarkets this week.

Monetary-driven precious metals outperform major base metals

Gold stocks hit by plunging equities markets

Gold stocks down as metal and equities momentum fades

Another Kazatomprom guidance announcement shakes uranium price

Major monetary drivers still supporting gold