ASIAN MORNING BRIEF 12/12: Copper, nickel star performers as LME metals mostly rebound; ferro-chrome prices regain ground in China; antimony prices up

The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Tuesday December 12.

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mostly higher at the close on Monday December 11, with copper and nickel the standout performers. Read more in our live futures report.

Here are how prices looked at the end of the day on Monday.

Chrome ore and domestic ferro-chrome prices have rebounded in China as the country’s stainless steel sector strengthens.

European antimony prices edged higher last week due to tightening availability, with both grades remaining at parity while the Chinese market started to recover slowly.

In the bullish frenzy spurred by the hype surrounding electric vehicles in the days following LME Week, one key metal was seemingly, and surprisingly, unaffected by the trend: copper.

The accounting head of Noble Group has departed the commodities trading company, which is still suffering impairment losses stemming from an asset revaluation, Metal Bulletin has learned.

Steel demand in the Middle East will keep growing in 2018 and beyond, but the region needs trade protection measures to support local producers, according to United Arab Emirates-based Al Ghurair Iron & Steel.

China’s silicon export price rebounded in Metal Bulletin’s pricing session last week, while the European market was subdued.

Chinese ferro-silicon prices have reached a 10-year high while the European spot market continues to rally higher, with the US following suit.

China’s vehicle production and sales rose both on an annual basis and sequentially in November.

What to read next
BHP reported lower FY27 copper guidance, sanctioned two Spence processing projects, disclosed a disruption at Carrapateena and highlighted progress on an Olympic Dam smelter expansion in its July 16 results package.
New York-headquartered global commodities company Hartree Partners will take the first 330,000 tonnes of copper concentrate from Blue Moon Metals' Nussir project in Norway, Christian Kargl-Simard, the critical metals developer's chief executive officer, told Fastmarkets on Monday July 6.
Half a million tonnes of copper is sitting in US warehouses, and the traders who put it there are starting to wonder whether they’ve built a hedge, or a trap.
European automotive procurement faces growing complexity due to regional cost volatility and policy-driven supply chains reshaping material pricing and sourcing strategies. This demands granular, region-specific market intelligence for precise cost modeling and strategic decision-making.
The assessment, which currently follows the UK holiday calendar, will follow the Singapore holiday calendar after the proposed change. There will be no change to the publication timing, and the assessment will continue to be published weekly on Wednesdays, at 7pm Singapore time. The purpose of the adjustment is to align the timing to the […]
JX Advanced Metals, Mitsui Kinzoku, Marubeni and Mitsubishi Materials(MMC) inked a deal to integrate MMC's copper concentrate procurement and related products sales business into Pan Pacific Copper (PPC), marking a significant consolidation of Japan's copper concentrate purchasing sector amid persistent pressure from weak treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs).