The downward trend in the benchmark cobalt price slowed in July, with some suppliers less eager to compete for sales while spot activity is slow, speculative buying spurs the domestic Chinese metal price and optimism filters through to the cobalt sulfate market.

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Friday August 2 that are worth another look.

China’s lithium market continued to move down on ample availability of material and depressed demand, leading the battery-grade lithium hydroxide spot price to sharply fall over the week to August 1.

The three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange was down during morning trading on Friday August 2, falling to its lowest level since June 10, while zinc futures shed 1.4% of Thursday’s gains.

Sentiment in financial markets has weakened further after US president Donald Trump announced the United States will impose a 10% tariff on $300 billion of Chinese goods from September 1.

Barring those for nickel and tin, base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were all down during morning trading on Friday August 2 after a surprise tariff announcement from the United States escalated trade tensions with China.

China's customs agency has held discussions with the country's major copper smelters with the aim of creating stricter limits on impurities contained in imported copper concentrates, four sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Fastmarkets.

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday August 1 that are worth another look.

Equities sold off after the US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) suggested that its rate cut was simply a mid-cycle adjustment rather than the start of monetary easing.

With the exception of nickel and tin, base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were down during morning trading on Thursday August 1, coming under pressure from a surge in the dollar following the conclusion of the US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on Wednesday.