EUROPEAN MORNING BRIEF 15/05: SHFE base metals prices diverge; EV nickel demand to surge tenfold by 2025; Mn ore, alloy prices slide further

Good morning from Metal Bulletin’s offices in Asia as we bring you the latest news and pricing stories on Tuesday May 15.

Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were on divergent paths during Asian morning trading on Tuesday, with copper down amid disappointing Chinese data and rising stock levels.

Check Metal Bulletin’s live futures report here.

SHFE snapshot at 10.44am Shanghai time
Most-traded SHFE contracts
  Price (yuan per tonne) Change since previous session’s close (yuan)
Copper (Jul) 51,280 -280
Aluminium (Jul) 14,695 60
Zinc (Jul) 23,715 160
Lead (Jun) 19,380 -5
Tin  (Sep) 145,750 -380
Nickel  (Jul) 106,870 380


LME snapshot at 03.44am London time
Latest three-month LME Prices
  Price ($ per tonne) Change since previous session’s close ($)
Copper 6,875 -10
Aluminium 2,317 -2
Lead 2,381.50 -3.5
Zinc 3,079 24
Tin 20,980 30
Nickel 14,370 -130

Mass production of electric vehicles (EVs) will transform the nickel market, which must evolve from pricing and supply perspectives in order to meet the anticipated surge in demand, a Vale executive said ahead of Metal Bulletin’s 6th International Nickel Conference, which begins Thursday May 31 in Toronto, Canada.

Manganese prices dropped further in China last week on weaker demand downstream. Check out Metal Bulletin’s latest weekly global manganese wrap here.

The commission appointed to draft the regulations required for the Democratic Republic of Congo’s new mining code has completed its work and will now report back to the Minister of Mines, major international mining companies active in the country said.

Core earnings at Brazilian ferro-alloys producer Ferbasa declined by 10.16% in the first quarter of 2018, affected by higher costs for energy and raw materials on an annual comparison, Metal Bulletin has learnt.

Both the European spot and Chinese export ammonium paratungstate markets continued to move higher last week amid concerns of supply disruptions due to continued environmental inspections in China.

London-based Harthill Logistics has expended its consultancy services through the appointment of Dessy Nascimentom, the company said.

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