Brazil’s adoption earlier this year of trade defense strategies to manage the acquisition of imported steel prompted local traders and importers to look into adding boron to some materials, so as to avoid extra tariffs, domestic sources have told Fastmarkets.

Fastmarkets proposes to launch a price assessment for graphite flake 94% C, -100 mesh, cif US ports, $/tonne.

The publication of Fastmarkets’ Graphite amorphous 80% C, -200 mesh prices for Thursday, August 15 were delayed due to a reporter error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated.

The China Zinc Smeltery Purchase Team (CZSPT) are discussing possible production cuts on the back of tighter supplies of zinc concentrates and weak demand, according to information provider Antaike.

Seaborne prices for high-grade manganese ore delivered to China fell sharply in the week to Friday August 16, in the wake of growing resistance from buyers to high prices, Hebei Steel’s cut in August alloy tender price and reduced downstream demand

Signals of oversupply are caused by newly signed contracts and delays in seaborne logistics, said cobalt traders

Fastmarkets has discontinued its weekly price assessment for MB-IRO-0001 pig iron export, fob main port Baltic Sea, CIS on Wednesday August 21.

Africa is known for being home to many key resources, including copper and cobalt, but it’s equally known for its persistent logistics issues, such as trucking strikes, shortages of transport capacity and congested ports, which have caused constant delays in shipments from the region.

Concerns over battery security have escalated the debate over nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) and lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery origins in South Korea following an electric vehicle (EV) fire due to a faulty battery according to sources

Fastmarkets has decided to discontinue its weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar) domestic, ex-whs Northern China because the price is not a key price benchmark.