Tin premiums were flat everywhere on Tuesday March 5, with news of Indonesian export relief yet to have any tangible effect on the European markets, while market participants in the United States sought rumored discounts and Chinese premiums remained static due to a closed import window. European market awaits Indonesian supply flows US buyers seek discounted material Chinese demand falters.Europe...Read More

RAPAPORT... De Beers' sales fell for the second consecutive month, ashigh rough prices and slim midstream profits softened demand from buyers,sightholders reported. Sales of $490 million in February were 13% below ayear ago amid weak interest in lower-value goods, the miner said Tuesday. De Beers mainlykept prices steady, prompting concerns from clients, many of whom had beenhoping the company wou...Read More

Zimbabwean Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said a rule requiring local investors to control platinum mines will be scrapped and foreigners will be allowed to own 100% in a bid to revive investment."We are removing that indigenization rule, which is discouraging foreign direct investment," Ncube said in an interview with Bloomberg Television in Washington. "We say Zimbabwe is open for business; you c...Read More

De Beers Group Industry Services on Tuesday announced that all four of its diamond verification instruments (DVIs) submitted for testing as part of the Assure programme had received “outstanding” results.The Assure programme is a joint collaboration between the Diamond Producers Association (DPA) and Signet Jewelers, with input provided by other participants in the diamond industry and...Read More

De Beers Group today announced the value of rough diamond sales (Global Sightholder Sales and Auction Sales) for the second sales cycle of 2019.  Sales of De Beers' second "cycle " stood at $490 , a drop of 13 percent compared to the sales figure of De Beers' second sight in 2018, which generated $563 million. "Demand for rough diamonds remained consistent during the second sales cycle of 20...Read More

RAPAPORT... The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has enacted aresolution calling for reforms to increase the effectiveness of the KimberleyProcess (KP), the World Diamond Council (WDC) said. The European Union proposed the resolution at the assembly's73rd session on March 1, with all 193 UNGA members agreeing to it. "We are most heartened by the adoption of the resolution bythe UNGA, not on...Read More

The three-month nickel price trading on the London Metal Exchange continued its upward momentum on Wednesday March 6, while the other base metals prices were mostly lower with continued strength in the dollar index limiting price rallies. Nickel's three-month price has recorded a weekly incline of more than 5% and is keeping above $13,600 per tonne, while open interest on the exchange has pushed h...Read More

Standard & Poors (S&P) issued a report saying that 2019 will be yet another year of elevated retail defaults, above the levels that were seen during the great recession of a decade ago. It noted that a significant number of retailers struggle to operate successfully in the current competitive landscape. While the United States' economy seems to be in reasonably good shape, S&P predicts...Read More

GIA's second annual GIA (Gemological Institute of America) London Jewellery Career Fair will be held on April 5, 11:30 am to 4:15 pm, at the Goldsmiths' Hall, Foster Lane, London EC2V 6BN, for an opportunity to meet gem and jewelry industry recruiters from all over Europe. The event is free and open to the public. "The GIA Jewellery Career Fair is back in London for a second year, and is eve...Read More

Prices for flat-rolled steel imports have moved higher than those for domestic goods in the United States, in a rare inversion of the typical pricing dynamic.That development means imports are not attractive to US buyers, especially those uncertain of whether higher domestic prices seen over the past month are sustainable.US prices are expected to recover, given higher steel prices abroad, ri...Read More

The World Diamond Council has welcomed the adoption of a resolution by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on March 1, which calls for a strengthening of the Kimberley Process (KP), to more effectively sever the link between the illicit transaction of rough diamonds and armed conflict, thereby contributing to the maintenance of international peace and, in particular, security and sustainabl...Read More

Bulawayo24, an online news service, reported that Zimbabwe has agreed with Botswana to start processing its diamonds at the Diamond Trading Company (DTC) in Gaborone. The agreement was reached during a high-level summit of the Zimbabwe-Botswana Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Harare in February. To implement the agreement, DTC diamond experts are to visit Zimbabwe this month. According to the rep...Read More

TSX-V-listed Tsodilo Resources says its BK16 kimberlite project, in the Orapa kimberlite field, in Botswana, is well placed to enter the market once the mine is established.In a presentation published by the company this week, Tsodilo stated that BK16 was already showing similarities to Lucara Diamond Corp’s Karowe diamond mine, in Botswana, as well as Petra Diamonds’ Koffiefontein min...Read More

MCH Group has appointed Bernd Stadlwieser as CEO of the MCH Group. He succeeds Rene Kam, the veteran CEO who resigned after MCH's chief asset, BaselWorld lost close to 40 percent of its exhibitors in 2018. Bernd Stadlwieser has more than 20 years' international professional experience in the watch, jewelry and art business  as well as in the fields of business development and digitisati...Read More

European prices for mesh-quality wire rod stayed flat again across the continent in Fastmarkets' price assessments on Wednesday March 6, with levels of demand continuing to disappoint and with almost no business of significant volume reported in the first quarter of the year so far.Fastmarkets' weekly domestic price assessments for mesh-quality wire rod for both Northern and Southern Europe stayed...Read More

The price range for rebar produced and delivered in Northern Europe narrowed upward on Wednesday March 6 with pressure from producers being evident in the market, but very poor overall demand kept a cap on the high end of the range.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic rebar in Northern Europe edged up to ?,?540-550 ($611-623) per tonne delivered on Wednesday, from ?,?535-550 per tonne...Read More

Iranian export slab prices dropped in the week ended Wednesday March 6 with bookings done at lower values, Fastmarkets has heard, despite a positive mood in the CIS export slab market due to reduced availability of the material.Offers of Iranian slab were reported at $365-370 per tonne fob Iranian ports. And a 30,000-tonne cargo was sold to a customer in China at $360 per tonne fob, Fastmarkets ha...Read More

The price for rebar produced and delivered in Southern Europe remained flat again on Wednesday March 6, with producers' efforts to pass on higher raw material costs continuing to flounder in the face of poor demand from end-users.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for domestic rebar in Southern Europe stayed at ?,?510-520 ($577-589) per tonne delivered on Wednesday, unchanged since mid-January.L...Read More

Demand for flat steel in Turkey failed to improve in February although prices increased, but no further price rises were expected, market participants told Fastmarkets on Wednesday March 6.Local producers have filled their order books until May, they added.The price rises in February resulted from increasing prices for raw materials after the rupture of a tailings dam at Vale's Feij??o iron ore mi...Read More

Eastern promise for PolarXSPONSOREDpolarxAltech ticks boxes on path to production SPONSOREDaltech chemicalsThe mining major signed an agreement with Toronto-listed Freegold Ventures to spend up to US$30 million to earn 70% of the 100sq.km Shorty Creek project near Fairbanks in Alaska.Read More