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

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

Ukrainian steel billet producer Dneprovskiy Dzerzhinsky Metallurgical Plant (DMKD) has decided not to resume operations in part of its main production facility after a maintenance outage, due to the crisis in the global steel market, the company announced on Wednesday October 2.

Fastmarkets looks at the key takeaways from the annual Fastmarkets North American Ferro-alloys conference in Chicago on September 25-27.

India’s federal government has mandated that state governments in the country extend the iron ore mining leases of state-owned companies in blocks of up to 20 years if such applications are made at least 12 months prior to their expiry.

While copper cathode sellers welcomed the news that Chilean miner Codelco was raising its annual US copper cathode premium for 2020 supply, consumers expressed skepticism about the increase.

The increase in global freight rates caused by tighter emissions control regulations is putting pressure on steel product exporters already facing reduced demand and falling raw materials and steel prices, Fastmarkets has learned.

What to read next
The proposal would align the index more closely with physically traded volumes in the region, and enable it to adjust to evolving market conditions. This proposal follows an observed widening of the spread between trader and smelter purchase components of the index and is aligned with a majority of market feedback. Additionally, Fastmarkets seeks feedback […]
Until now, aluminium has been hard to move, not hard to find. Global aluminium supply had remained technically intact, even as output was curtailed in parts of the Gulf, inventory buffers were drawn down or repositioned, and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was severely disrupted.
Global aluminium producers face heightened uncertainty over power supplies, with oil and gas prices elevated by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) flows, sources told Fastmarkets.
Fastmarkets is extending the consultation period for the methodology of several of its black mass payables indicators and prices, and is also proposing changes to the names of CIF South Korea and EWX Europe black mass prices.
Rio Tinto Aluminium is expanding its footprint beyond its historic hydro-powered Canadian base, targeting Europe, Asia and Latin America as part of a deliberate diversification strategy, according to the unit’s chief executive officer.
Fastmarkets has corrected its copper concentrates treatment and refinement charge indices, which were published incorrectly on March 20 2026 due to a technical error.