Ferro-chrome prices in China's domestic and import markets soared again in the week to Tuesday January 26, due to restricted production in the north of the country and a leap in tender values.On January 21, Taiyuan Iron & Steel (Tisco) set its tender price for February-delivery high-carbon ferro-chrome at 8,000 yuan ($1,235) per tonne, up by 2,200 yuan per tonne (38%) from 5,800 yuan per tonne off...Read More
Fertiliser, a sector of the mining industry which tends to only attract interest when there's a takeover bid on the table, or when big developments are planned, is moving into a sweet spot of strongRead More
An overview of the consumer electronics markets and their latest price moves.Ewa Manthey, Dalila Ouerghi and...Read More
An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Charlotte Radford, Cristina Belda...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday January 27 that are worth another look.Global crude steel output fell by 0.9% year on year to 1.86 billion tonnes in 2020, with an increase in China unable to offset declines across most other major steelmaking nations, the World Steel Association...Read More
Turkish steel scrap prices fell sharply again as expected on Wednesday January 27, after a newbooking from the UK, sources told Fastmarkets.A steel mill in the Izmir region booked a UK cargo, comprising 9,500 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $408 per tonne and 14,000 tonnes of shredded at $419 per tonne cfr late on Tuesday January 26.The most recent previous booking to Turkey was from the Ba...Read More
US steel scrap sellers have been locked in negotiations for sales to China this week amid a continued drop in global prices, industry sources told Fastmarkets. At least three major scrapyards in the US have been offering bulk shredded and plate & structural (P&S) scrap to China in the spot market this week, sources said. A US trading source told Fastmarkets that Chinese traders have been asking fo...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were for the most part weaker while the market waits for direction from the US Federal Reserve when the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) concludes its meeting this evening. Zinc prices extend lower after Tuesday's rise in LME stocks Base metals Three-month base metals prices on the LME were mostly down this morning;...Read More
The European Commission (EC) has approved, under EU state aid rules, a second research and innovation project in the battery space, unlocking ?,?2.9 billion ($3.52 billion) of state funds provided by a dozen European states to support research and innovation in the battery supply chain, it said on Tuesday January 26.This is the second Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) approved...Read More
Sometimes an investment idea is so antithetical to logic that you can't help but laugh at its truth.More often than not, those are the most powerful ideas that pad your portfolio for years to come.You've seen plenty of examples firsthand.Let's take one of the more contentious debates out there: gun control.No matter which side of the fence you fall on regarding control, the cold, bitter truth is t...Read More
European buyers of hot-rolled coil have been holding back from making new deals due to the risks related to restocking ahead of an expected price decrease, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday January 27.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, at ?,?708.75 ($860.82) per tonne on Wednesday, down by ?,?2.25 per tonne from ?,?711.00 per tonne on J...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.It was only a couple of months ago that contract buyers of coated steels - represented in large part by market participants from the automotive sector - were grudgingly resigned to paying as much as ?,?100 ($120) per tonne more for their contracted shipments in 2021 compared with in 2020. Increases in contract prices of...Read More
Prices for steel hollow sections in Europe moved upward this week, even as feedstock costs begin to fall, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday January 27.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?850-870 ($1,032-1,057) per tonne on Wednesday, up from ?,?820-850 per tonne one week earlier.In recent weeks, the price of the feedstock mater...Read More
The domestic market for steel mesh-quality wire rod in Southern Europe moved up in the week to Wednesday January 27 on bullish offers from mills, but buying activity has slowed because of the scrap market downturn, sources have told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh-quality), domestic, delivered Southern Europe, was ?,?650-680 ($789-826) per tonne on Wednesd...Read More
Stability in the domestic market for steel mesh-quality wire rod in Northern Europe has continued in the week to Wednesday January 27, with prices being supported by tight availability and good order books at mills, sources have told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh-quality), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, remained at ?,?670-700 ($814-850) per tonne o...Read More
Turkish steel scrap prices fell sharply again as expected on Wednesday January 27, after a newbooking from the UK, sources told Fastmarkets.A steel mill in the Izmir region booked a UK cargo, comprising 9,500 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $408 per tonne and 14,000 tonnes of shredded at $419 per tonne cfr late on Tuesday January 26.The most recent previous booking to Turkey was from the Ba...Read More
Sentiment in the seaborne iron ore market improved on Wednesday January 27 because of an uptick in prices for steel products, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $166.59 per tonne, up $1.52 per tonne 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $166.65 per tonne, up $0.46 per tonne 58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $152.22 per tonne, down $0.92 p...Read More
US steel scrap sellers have been locked in negotiations for sales to China this week amid a continued drop in global prices, industry sources told Fastmarkets. At least three major scrapyards in the US have been offering bulk shredded and plate & structural (P&S) scrap to China in the spot market this week, sources said. A US trading source told Fastmarkets that Chinese traders have been asking fo...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday January 27 that are worth another look.Global crude steel output fell by 0.9% year on year to 1.86 billion tonnes in 2020, with an increase in China unable to offset declines across most other major steelmaking nations, the World Steel Association...Read More
I look at the rising geo-political risk emanating from the South China Seas, and how this may become the knife that slices open the MOST extended and stretched US stock market I have EVER seen, in my FOUR DECADES of experience, this is perhaps the single most vulnerable market situation since 1983 ... as the chasm between the economic recovery priced into the market, versus the actual underlying e...Read More