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

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

In copper, Chile’s state-owned producer Codelco halted part of its operation at the El Teniente mine following an accident on Sunday June 2. Separately, Aurubis has entered into a long-term supply contract with Teck Resources to source concentrates over a 10-year period from the second phase of Teck’s Quebrada Blanca (QB2) open-pit project in the Tarapacá Region of Chile, Fastmarkets learned.

The lead import arbitrage in China reopened in May, causing lead concentrate imports to rise and treatment charges to tumble, while spot terms for zinc concentrates stabilized.

After briefly stabilizing at a recent high of $16.35-17.05 per lb following a rise since late March, the standard-grade cobalt benchmark price started to retreat in mid-May amid slowing consumer demand and sellers’ profit-taking.

China’s domestic antimony price fell for a fourth consecutive week after some domestic suppliers lowered prices further to spark buying interest.

Seaborne and port prices for low-grade manganese ore weakened during the week to May 31, with inventories reaching a new record high amid poor demand.

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The United States' copper recycling industry is ramping up pressure on policymakers to impose some form of export controls on high-purity copper scrap, arguing that current trade dynamics – particularly with China – are distorting prices, weakening domestic capacity and undermining national security goals.
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US copper scrap market participants are shifting from COMEX to LME pricing in response to extreme price volatility and a new 50% copper import tariff. The change is influencing discount formulas, export strategies and long-term trading dynamics across the sector.