Some mill-grade aluminium scrap prices have shown only a half-hearted increase in the United States, with the wide availability of scrap and general market uncertainty so far stymying reactions to steep gains in the Midwest aluminium premium.

The restriction on imports of some copper scrap products to China has already caused the industry to make some process changes but many questions are still unanswered, a panel of scrap experts said at the Metal Bulletin Copper conference.

Base metals traded on the London Metal Exchange are down across the board by an average of 0.3% this morning, Wednesday March 7. Nickel leads the decline with a 0.9% drop to $13,520 per tonne, while the rest are off between less than 0.1% and 0.3%, with three-month copper prices at $6,977 per tonne.

Good morning from Metal Bulletin’s office in Singapore as we bring you the latest news and pricing stories on Wednesday March 7.

Aluminium prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange weakened during Asian morning trading on Wednesday March 7, after market participants were left with little to cheer about due to the uncertainty surrounding China’s plans for further aluminium capacity cuts this year.

Base metals traded on the London Metal Exchange are mixed this morning, Tuesday March 6, with lead, zinc and tin prices down by an average of 0.5%, while copper, aluminium and nickel prices are up by an average of 0.3%.

Good morning from Metal Bulletin’s office in Singapore as we bring you the latest news and pricing stories on Tuesday March 6.

Base metals traded on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were split into two camps during Asian morning trading on Tuesday March 6, with zinc, lead and tin prices weakening, while the rest pushed higher.

Peru’s first independent metal concentrates warehouse and blending facility, Logisminsa, has seen increased demand for its recently added bonded warehousing services, while plans to build a lead storage space have been shelved due to current market dynamics in the country.

The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Tuesday March 6.