Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday February 20 that are worth another look.A blockchain pilot project designed to demonstrate the presence of artisanal and small-scale mining sites in the tungsten supply chain is scheduled to be completed in May 2019. Glencore expects healthy future demand for cobalt and a bottoming out of prices after a difficul...Read More

A blockchain pilot project designed to demonstrate the presence of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sites in the tungsten supply chain is scheduled to be completed in May 2019.The SustainBlock trial started in May 2018 and is focused on a tungsten supply chain originating from Rwanda.Funded by the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals (EPRM), a multi-stakeholder grouping set up to cr...Read More

Access our research platformsSign-in to our platforms to access our extensive research, our latest insight, data and analytics and to connect to our industry experts.India's renewables target of 175 GW capacity (100 GW of solar and 75 GW of wind) by 2022 is an ambitious endeavour. Even with significant cost declines, Wood Mackenzie expects about 76% of the target to be met by 2022 and this would s...Read More

The following Fastmarkets UK non-ferrous scrap and foundry ingot prices changed on Wednesday February 20:Aluminium ingotLM6/LM25 gravity diecasting ingot: ?1,700-1,780 per tonne from ?1,710-1,790...Read More

RAPAPORT... India's polished-diamond exports dropped 16% to $1.75 billion in January,continuing their recent weakness. A slide in the volume of shipments outweigheda higher average price, according to data the Gem & Jewellery ExportPromotion Council (GJEPC) released this week. Rough imports also plunged,mirroring a similar trend in the Belgian market in January as demand from manufacturersslow...Read More

The global refined zinc market deficit shrank by 13% year on year in 2018 to 384,000 tonnes from 2017's 442,000 tonne deficit, caused by dampening demand in China, South Africa and Turkey, the International Lead & Zinc Study Group (ILZSG) said on Wednesday February 20. World production of refined zinc last year was roughly flat with 2017, increasing just 0.1% year on year to 13,279,000 tonnes from...Read More

RAPAPORT... Gem Diamonds has recovered a high-quality, 13.33-carat pinkdiamond in Lesotho. The type I diamond was unearthed earlier this month at its Let??eng mine, and isthe first stone above 10.8 carats the company has reported this year. It is the largest pink diamond the miner hasrecovered since 2011, when it retrieved a 30.68-carat stone. In December it founda pink stone weighing 8.53 ca...Read More

RAPAPORT... Lucara Diamond Corp. has unearthed a 223-carat, high-qualitywhite diamond from its Karowe mine in Botswana. "[This year] is off to a great start, with several high-qualitydiamonds in excess of 100 carats having been recovered by mid-February, atestament to the strong, stable operating environment that has prevailed atKarowe since late 2018," Lucara CEO Eira Thomas said Tuesday. Th...Read More

RAPAPORT... A flawless white diamond with a high estimate of nearly $13million will head up April's Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite auction atSotheby's in Hong Kong. The oval brilliant-cut, 88.22-carat, D-color, flawless, typeIIa stone is one of only three oval diamonds over 50 carats offered in auctionhistory, Sotheby's said Tuesday. The stone - which has a presale estimate of$11.2 milli...Read More

The Comex copper market continued to move in a positive direction on Wednesday February 20, with global trade talks between the United States and China showing progress.The copper price for March settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange increased 2.25 cents to $2.8970 per lb. Additionally, the red metal's price remains elevated against a backdrop of falling London....Read More

On Wednesday, hopes that an escalation of the trade war between the US and China can been avoided (or at least postponed) sparked a massive rally in mining stocks - already buoyed by climbing metals prices.US President Donald Trump said yesterday he may not increase tariffs on Chinese products on March 1, as talks about the trading relationship between the world's two largest economies continue in...Read More

A report published by Fitch Solutions states that due to the prevalence of off-grid remote mineral deposits in Sub-Saharan Africa and the fact that traditional grid-power tends to be unreliable in those mines, mining companies operating in the region should invest in renewable energy.According to the market research firm, off-grid mines could benefit from reducing their dependency on diesel while...Read More

RAPAPORT... Swiss watch exports were flat in January at CHF 1.62 billion ($1.62 billion), as a drop in orders from Chinaoutweighed solid growth in other major export markets. "The main markets reported growth, except for China, whichexperienced one of the most unfavorable base effects of the last four years," the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry reported Tuesday.  Exports to China...Read More

RAPAPORT... The average amount US couples spent on engagement rings dropped 2% in 2018, according to a survey The Knot released lastweek. While 28% of the 14,000 respondents spent more than $6,000on their ring, the national average was approximately $5,680, down from $5,764in 2017, the data showed. In 2018, "high-spenders" - those whose nuptials cost more than$60,000 - spent an average of $13...Read More

2019 is off to a great start for Lucara Diamond Corp, with the Canada-headquartered mining company having recovered another large diamond at its Karowe mine, in Botswana.The large find is a 223 ct, high white gem diamond, which will be shown alongside the 240 ct and 127 ct top white gem diamonds found last month, at the upcoming March 7 tender.AdvertisementLucara is listed on the TSX.To watch Crea...Read More

Wire rod prices in the United States have decreased due to slower market activity while import pricing remains firm due to a lack of fresh offers, market sources said.Fastmarkets' assessment for industrial quality low-carbon rod was $38.25-40 per hundredweight ($765-800 per short ton) fob mill on Tuesday February 19, down from $39.25-41.25 per cwt previously. Prior to the latest drop, wire rod pri...Read More

Argentina's sole flat steel producer, Ternium Siderar, expects its steel shipment volumes to decrease in the first quarter of 2019, and to start a recovery only in the second quarter, due to continuing inventory adjustments among clients."The company expects steel shipments to continue decreasing during the first quarter of 2019, reflecting the usual seasonality of the first quarter and the effect...Read More

Ternium does not expect that the iron ore supply disruptions in Brazil will have any early effects on output from its slab-producing unit in the country, chief executive officer M??ximo Vedoya said during a conference call to discuss results for 2018.The local branch of the Latin American group, called Ternium Brasil, is supplied with some 7.3 million tonnes per year of iron ore from Vale, he adde...Read More

The price for rebar produced and delivered in Southern Europe remained flat on Wednesday February 20, with producers still unable to pass on higher raw materials costs - even with the added pressure of exhausted import quotas for Turkish rebar.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic rebar in Southern Europe stayed at ?,?510-520 ($577-588) per tonne delivered on Wednesday.Producers r...Read More

On Wednesday, hopes that an escalation of the trade war between the US and China can been avoided (or at least postponed) sparked a massive rally in mining stocks - already buoyed by climbing metals prices.US President Donald Trump said yesterday he may not increase tariffs on Chinese products on March 1, as talks about the trading relationship between the world's two largest economies continue in...Read More