ASIAN MORNING BRIEF 19/09: Copper prices rise on LME, Comex; Russia’s Industrial Metallurgical Holding starts rebar production at Tula Steel; Brazil flat steel producers announce October price hike

The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Wednesday September 19.

Copper prices on the London Metal Exchange closed 2% higher on Tuesday September 18, with the base metals complex shrugging off the escalating trade dispute between the United States and China. Read more in our live futures report.

Here are how prices looked at the close of trading:

Comex copper prices rebounded in morning trading in the US even after President Donald Trump applied more tariffs on Chinese goods, further raising tensions between the two nations.

Russia’s Industrial Metallurgical Holding began producing steel rebar at its new Tula-Steel subsidiary facility last week.

Brazilian flat steel producers have announced another price increase to be imposed on distributors and industrial clients in October and are also negotiating price increases for annual contracts with automakers, according to national flat steel association Inda.

European domestic stainless steel prices are likely to stabilize as the European Union safeguard quota for stainless steel imports is taken up, according to Roeland Baan, chief executive officer of Finnish stainless steelmaker Outokumpu.

Brazilian flat steel sales volumes declined by 0.8% year on year in August due to the weak performance of the country’s economy, according to national flat steel association Inda.

Most flat steel import prices in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have been stable over the past week, although demand increased slightly in the United Arab Emirates, sources told Metal Bulletin.

Physical iron ore was trading at higher prices, following on from a much stronger performance in the paper market.

What to read next
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).
The publication of Fastmarkets’ assessments of the nickel min 99.8% full plate premium, in-whs Shanghai, and the nickel min 99.8% full plate premium, cif Shanghai for Tuesday May 26 were delayed because of a reporter error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated. The following prices were affected:MB-NI-0143 Nickel min 99.8% full plate premium, in-whs Shanghai, […]
Copper producers, including Atlas Mining, reported higher earnings in the first quarter of 2026 on the back of elevated copper prices, while concentrate output declined at several operations in Chile, Brazil, Colombia and the Philippines due to lower ore grades and disruptions, according to company results reviewed by Fastmarkets.