Base metal futures on the London Metal Exchange bar aluminium were down on Monday, October 31, the first full day of trading following LME Week

The Chinese government plans to lower the import thresholds for impurities contained in metals concentrates, indicating that the old standards are no longer practical, sources have told Fastmarkets

The London Metal Exchange has announced new additions to the LMEpassport which will provide increased transparency on brands using scrap material and broaden disclosure to non-LME brands

Soaring energy prices, particularly in Europe, have dominated headlines globally and have had significant impacts on base metal prices, both on the London Metal Exchange and in physical spot premiums

The negotiation season for long-term contracts is well under way in many of the base metal markets, and participants globally have noted that the price volatility seen so far in 2022 and the soaring energy costs in Europe have weighed on consumer sentiment

Fastmarkets has corrected its zinc SHG ingot premium fca Malaysia, which was published incorrectly on Tuesday October 18, due to an error.

Fastmarkets' monthly Shanghai bonded zinc stock data scheduled for Friday September 30 was updated on Monday October 10 instead due to delays in publishing during the recent public holiday in China.

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mostly lower during morning trading on Monday September 26, with the strong dollar and demand concerns still weighing on the market

The heads of 40 metals companies and a number of industry associations have called on European Union leaders to take emergency action to temporarily reduce gas prices in order to alleviate costs and help continued production at their sites

The energy crisis across Europe is leading to capacity being taken offline as producer margins become squeezed, but aluminium and zinc premiums are having opposite reactions