Copper market participants have told Fastmarkets that European demand for the red metal in 2023 is “not all doom and gloom,” although the market will face problems

The mining sector will need to get over its reticence to operate in jurisdictions with high-risk profiles in order to achieve the growth required for the move to a new generation of energy markets

Buying appetite in China for high-purity copper scrap of overseas origin is expected to remain strong in 2023, with questions over the supply of domestic scrap in the country, and a growing trend to repurpose scrap materials as part of the decarbonization movement across the world

Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund has joined forces with the country’s state-owned mining firm to create a company that invests in mining assets globally in the transition to a new generation of energy markets

Leading mining companies have recently expanded their exposure to copper via acquisitions rather than through greenfield investments, but new projects are needed to feed an expected rise in demand amid global energy transition trends, market experts have told Fastmarkets

Growing uncertainty about end-user demand and input costs through 2022 has driven a change in consumer habits in Europe’s aluminium and steel markets, with traders foreseeing a continuation of hand-to-mouth buying going into 2023

Volatility was one of the main themes for cobalt prices in 2022 and market participants will take a wait-and-see approach toward long-term supply contracts in the coming year

China has decided to remove its import tariff on cobalt metal (Harmonized System code 81052020), a move which is not expected to largely impact the domestic market due to weak demand for the metal, sources told Fastmarkets

With global lithium-ion battery production forecast to grow significantly in the coming years, market participants in the global nickel industry are working on the most efficient way to produce nickel sulfate for lithium-ion battery cathodes

Nonferrous scrap export volumes from the United States rose in October, with decreases in used beverage cans (UBCs), nickel and zinc scrap being offset by increases in aluminium, copper and lead scrap, according to the latest data from the US Department of Commerce. In year-to-date comparisons, however, only exports of aluminium scrap declined