IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from January 8

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Tuesday January 8 that are worth another look.

The penetration of nickel-cobalt-manganese type-811 batteries into the Chinese electric vehicle industry will be quite limited in 2019, market participants have told Fastmarkets.

A new duty on imported copper raw materials in Zambia has already led to consequences, with producers planning to reduce output while some concentrates from the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo could be diverted to other markets, including China, Fastmarkets has learned.

India’s Supreme Court has upheld an earlier order to reopen Sterlite Copper’s Tuticorin smelter, which was closed for environmental reasons, parent company Vedanta said on Tuesday January 8.

European long steel buyers were quiet throughout December on uncertainties arising from the United States’ various trade wars, but a European Commission quota proposal in January has offered some hope of more certainty to sellers.

The US ferrous scrap market is clearly a buyer’s market in January, with sellers of steel turnings feeling the biggest sting in a monthly settlement rife with huge corrections.

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The US aluminium industry is experiencing challenges related to tariffs, which have contributed to higher prices and premiums, raising questions about potential impacts on demand. Alcoa's CEO has noted that sustained high prices could affect the domestic market. While trade agreements might provide some relief, analysts expect premiums to remain elevated in the near term. However, aluminum demand is projected to grow over the long term, supported by the energy transition and clean energy projects. To meet this demand, the industry will need to increase production, restart idle smelters and address factors such as electricity costs and global competition.
Read Fastmarkets' monthly base metals market for May 2025 focusing on raw materials including copper, nickel aluminium, lead, zinc and tin.
The MB-AL-0408 aluminium low-carbon differential P1020A, cif Mexico was published at 3:02pm London time on May 20 instead of the scheduled time of 3-4pm on May 27. The erroneous price has been removed from Fastmarkets’ pricing database. The price will next be published on May 27 at its usual time. This price is a part of the Fastmarkets […]
The US trade roller coaster ride seems to be flattening, with signs of potential moderation and stability. It appears increasingly likely that our original expectation that the US Trump administration would primarily use the threat of tariffs as a negotiating strategy will be correct. While we do not expect to the US tariff position return to pre-2025 levels, we believe the overall US tariff burden is more likely to settle at around 10-30% globally rather than the elevated rates of 50-100% that seemed possible in recent weeks.
To increase transparency, Fastmarkets has further clarified how it handles price movements during periods of low liquidity. Factors that Fastmarkets may consider during times of low liquidity include, but are not limited to: market fundamentals such as changes in inventory levels, shipments, operating rates and export volumes; relative fundamentals of similar commodities in the same […]
The publication of the following price was delayed for 10 minutes: MB-ALU-0002 Alumina index, fob Australia, $/tonne This price is a part of the Fastmarkets Base Metals package. For more information or to provide feedback on the delayed publication of this price or if you would like to provide price information by becoming a data submitter […]