China’s economic growth slowed to 6.2% in the second quarter of this year - in line with expectations and well within Beijing’s target of 6-6.5% growth for 2019 - but market participants continued to focus on the fact that this was the country’s lowest gross domestic product (GDP) growth in nearly three decades.

Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were split into two camps during morning trading on Monday July 15 with aluminium, zinc and nickel ticking upward, while the rest weakened.

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Friday July 12 that are worth another look.

China's trade surplus with the United States in the first half of 2019 has increased as imports from the US have fallen by 25.7%, stoking fears that President Trump will harden his position in trade talks with China.

Base metals prices were mixed in the Chinese morning trading session on Friday July 12, with copper, zinc and tin all higher amid US dollar weakness and overall optimism following US Federal Reserve Chair Powell’s dovish testimony, while aluminium and nickel both moved lower.

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday July 11 that are worth another look.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has closed two dispute cases brought by Canada and Mexico over the United States’ Section 232 steel and aluminium tariffs following a collective settlement.

This week, beginning Monday July 8, has seen one of the world’s biggest copper miners, Chile’s Antofagasta, begin to break away from the traditional annual price benchmark system by sealing an early deal with Chinese smelters to supply concentrates for the first half of 2020.

South Korea’s state raw materials investment company, Korea Resources (Kores), is preparing to sell its stake in Capstone’s Santo Domingo copper mining project, sources with knowledge of the matter told Fastmarkets.

Although rate cut expectations encouraged the London Metal Exchange three-month base metals prices to move higher yesterday, they have started to weaken in early trading today, Thursday July 11, and been unable to attract follow-through buying.