IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from May 3

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Friday May 3 that are worth another look.

An agreement in next week's labor negotiations at Codelco's Chuquicamata mining and smelting division could prove tough to secure, Fastmarkets learned on Friday May 3. Codelco has invited unions No 1, 2 and 3 of the Chuquicamata division to hold talks about work contracts in Calama in northern Chile. These will start on May 6 with Unions 1 and 2 and continue on May 7 with Union No 3, the state-owned company said.

A recent drop in copper prices is not reflective of the current tight supply and demand fundamentals, and a rebound could take place as soon as next week, Codelco's chief commercial officer Roberto Ecclefield told Fastmarkets on Friday May 3.

Copper concentrates treatment charges declined in early May after traders accepted recent tender tonnages at surprisingly low levels, which stretched the gap between acceptable purchase levels for traders and smelters to its widest in the past year.

The dip in tin prices on the London Metal Exchange over the past two months reflects technical factors and a drop in semiconductor sales, but a rebound is hard to envision despite a largely solid fundamental backdrop.

Benchmark alumina prices are now trading at their lowest in over a year due to lack of buying appetite and excess cargoes in the market for May and June.

Rising metals price volatility over past month

Gold stocks surge ahead of equities on metal price gain

Base metals outlook for 2026 opaque after decent rise last year

Gold and silver stocks far outpace the major markets

Bank of Japan boosts rates, continuing an unwinding carry trade