Base metals on the London Metal Exchange were mixed in morning trading on Monday June 10, with three-month prices lacking direction amid thin traded volumes due a public holiday in China, the largest market for base metals

Copper concentrate treatment and refining charges have repeatedly fallen to record-low levels over the first five months of 2024

Trading in the spot copper concentrate market in Asia was sluggish in the week to Friday May 31, with smelters not actively looking for spot units, sources said

To reach the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) net zero by 2050 goals, the North American aluminium industry needs around $60 billion in private and public investment, according to a May 29 report by the Aluminum Association and the environmental consulting firm ICF

In line with the UK takeover regime’s "put up or shut up" rule, BHP, on May 29, opted for the latter and abandoned its goal of acquiring Anglo American – at least, for now.

Norway-based aluminium producer Hydro has several plans for decreasing its carbon footprint, new chief executive officer Eivind Kallevik told Fastmarkets on Tuesday May 28.

Prices of gold and silver have surged so far in 2024, leading to more popularity for copper, zinc and lead concentrate containing higher levels of these precious metal to profit from the rising value of the byproduct, Fastmarkets has learned.

Record-high prices for refined copper metal and a shortage of copper concentrates have caught the attention of investors. Bringing new, large-scale supply to the market is not simple or quick, but brownfield expansions and scrap supply may offer a quicker response

The base metals complex has been on a climb on futures exchanges globally but the surge is not reflected in physical markets, with buyers generally staying out of the market due to elevated prices, sources told Fastmarkets

Sources from across the copper concentrate industry told Fastmarkets that some miners are becoming more cautious of their counterparty risk – the risk that the other party in a transaction may not fulfill its part of the deal – with copper concentrate terms being agreed as far out as 2028.