IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from January 7

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Tuesday January 7 that are worth another look.

Alexander Shevelev, chief executive officer of Russian steelmaker Severstal, says that the company has changed its culture quite quickly and substantially to focus on being a solutions provider.

Brazilian vehicle output shrank by 3.9% year on year during December 2019, because higher domestic registrations were not enough to offset the continuing tumble in export volumes, local automakers’ association Anfavea said on Tuesday January 7.

Fastmarkets has relaunched its ores and alloys cuts counter to track widespread production cutbacks amid the current low prices.

Chinese imports of ferro-niobium hit a 10-month high in November 2019, registering an increase of 75.4% month on month and 99.1% year on year, according to official but unconfirmed data seen by Fastmarkets.

Japan is expected to divert more of its ferrous scrap export supply to Vietnam and Bangladesh in 2020 due to weaker demand from neighbor South Korea, market sources in Japan told Fastmarkets.

What to read next
Steel producers in the United States remain optimistic about construction demand despite its lackluster short-term outlook, according to market participants
The influential annual treatment and refining charge (TC/RC) benchmark that sets the price that smelters charge miners to process their copper concentrate could be at risk, according to multiple market sources, although most believe the system, or elements of it, will remain
Caroline Messecar, strategic markets editor for Fastmarkets, explores the world of rare earth prices in her opinion piece for ‘The Crucible’ titled ‘Why have rare earth prices fallen?’
After a consultation period, Fastmarkets has amended the pricing frequency of its MB-STE-0141 steel billet import, cfr Manila, $/tonne, price assessment from a daily basis to twice per week.
The publication of the following prices was delayed on Tuesday April 30 due to technical issues. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated.
Fastmarkets launches MB-NI-0256 nickel low-carbon briquette premium, cif global, $/tonne, on Wednesday May 1.