Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the unfolding Western sanctions are expected to worsen the situation for antimony concentrate supplies, adding extra pressure to an already tight market for the metal and its derivative trioxide

"Concerning" situation building in the nickel market for some time means disorder could be ahead

Traders in China are seeking to move piled-up base metal stock in the country to Southeast Asia and Europe, where supply is tight, with export arbitrage terms turning positive since Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Turkish mills have been forced to pay $6 per tonne more for United States-origin ferrous scrap with the extreme curtailment of Black Sea billet shipments into global markets acutely intensifying demand for Turkish material, and there are more hefty increases for US ferrous scrap export prices on the horizon, sources told Fastmarkets

Key Asian markets Taiwan and the Philippines will have to rely more on higher-priced steel billet from Southeast Asia if they can no longer procure Russian material amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to sources

Increased concerns over the potential impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and volatile price action in LME official nickel prices has caused spot premiums for nickel to surge in Europe while participants seek to secure material

Cobalt market participants have reported that this week’s Russian invasion of Ukraine will compound the tightness in availability of units in the spot market while some opt to steer clear of handling Russian material

The highly influential Midwest premium (MWP) for primary aluminium in the United States reached a fourth record-high in the past six assessments on Friday February 25, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine the day before

Prime steel scrap prices were a hot topic ahead of March’s ferrous trade, following the announcement that Russia sent troops into eastern Ukraine on Monday February 22 in a move that could threaten the United States’ pig iron supplies and force mills to rely more heavily on prime scrap

High-level talks between Russia, the US and military bloc NATO wrap after strong warnings of military actions in the Black Sea