Société le Nickel will halt operations at its Thio nickel mine in New Caledonia to protect the site and its employees while fresh industrial action continues to jeopardise already-embattled operations, the company said on Thursday March 5.

Market participants expect to see a decline in the monthly tender price offered by major Chinese stainless mills for March delivery of domestic high-carbon ferro-chrome when the tenders are officially announced in the coming days. Fastmarkets examines the reasons behind this expectation and discusses how smelters might respond to the lower tenders.

Broad-based government action to lower interest rates and make money available to the markets have helped underpin the financial system and confidence, and that has led to some risk-on in some sectors this morning, Thursday March 5.

Barring those for lead and tin, base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were in positive territory at the close of morning trading on Thursday March 5, with the complex supported by further government stimulus to offset the negative economic impact of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCOV) outbreak.

Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday March 4 that are worth another look.

Fastmarkets RISI is considering to launch new net price assessments for unbleached and bleached kraft paper prices for the US/North American marketplace, eventually replacing the current market assessments. The new price assessments would be based on open market net transaction levels, after specific customer discounts. Our North American pricing team has been researching this change […]

Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Northern Europe were expected to remain largely stable over the week, supported by a lack of competitive import offers and good order books at domestic steelmakers, market sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday March 4.

Conversations at Fastmarkets’ International Copper Conference in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on February 26-28 revolved around the impact of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) on copper production and procurement chain, as well as logistics disruptions.

Following initial research and consultation among market participants, Fastmarkets proposes to launch a weekly price assessment for ferro-niobium, delivered consumer works Europe, duty paid.

Broader markets are mixed this morning, Wednesday March 4, with markets in Asia generally weaker, while the London Metal Exchange base metals and western equities are recovering after having taken fright from the United States Federal Reserve’s rate cut on Tuesday.