The London Metal Exchange will introduce three regional hot-rolled coil contracts at the start of 2019, coinciding with a change in attitude towards risk management tools for the ferrous sector, according to the exchange’s business development manager.

Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were mixed during Asian morning trading on Monday June 25, with the main movers being zinc and nickel, albeit in opposite directions, while the rest of the metals traded sideways.

Chinese customs has suspended the publication of trade data for some key metal products including refined zinc, lead, nickel and copper raw materials such as scrap and concentrates, sources said.

The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Friday June 22.

Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were for the most part weaker on the morning of Thursday June 21, with the complex down by an average of 0.2%. Nickel, up by 0.3% at $15,000 per tonne, was the exception. Copper was off by 0.3% at $6,797 per tonne.

The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Thursday June 21.

The US Midwest copper premium in the United States has risen by a half-cent, with freight costs propelling the market to a nearly four-year high.

Switzerland-based miner-trader Glencore has settled a dispute over its Kamoto Copper Co (KCC) operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Now it’s being singled out as a beacon of commitment to efforts by state-run mining company Gécamines to restructure its mining sector.

Disappointing Chinese economic data suggests there is little to be bullish about and therefore it is unsurprising that the three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were down across the board by an average of 0.7% on the morning of Thursday June 14.

Base metals were mixed Wednesday ahead of the Federal Reserve releasing its decision on whether to raise rates.