NORTH AMERICAN MORNING BRIEF 05/12: LME base metal prices slip on profit-taking; EU anti-dumping rules; global alloy wraps

Key news and price moves to get you off to a good start during the North American morning on Tuesday December 5.

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were lower across the board during morning trading on Tuesday December 5 due to year-end profit-taking.

See our futures report for a snapshot of exchange news and prices.

Here is how prices looked on the LME at 12.08pm London time:

The European Union Council of Ministers has now formally approved new EU anti-dumping rules which may help the EU impose anti-dumping duties against Chinese-dumped metal exports, clearing the way for the new system to come into force by December 20.

Lower steel mill tender prices, meanwhile, continue to weigh on domestic ferro-chrome and chrome ore prices in China, pressuring markets outside of Asia in response. Click here for the latest global wrap.

And, in our latest global vanadium wrap, the alloys team write that European prices for ferro-vanadium and vanadium pentoxide continued to rise last week, supported by steady demand and limited availability, while the Chinese and US markets stabilized.

Vital Materials has, meanwhile, appointed Jan Vermeylen as the global director for sourcing and recycling, Metal Bulletin has learned.