Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were up across the board by an average of 0.6% on Tuesday November 13.

While the winter season begins in China, the ferrous market is wondering whether Chinese steelmakers will continue to move toward higher-grade, lower-impurity iron ore - an affinity they have demonstrated over the last two years.

The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Tuesday November 13.

The rate at which the European Commission’s import safeguard quotas for wire rod and rebar are filling up is still accelerating, and may give domestic long steel producers an opportunity to raise their prices in the next few weeks despite lukewarm demand.

It is unlikely that there will be any spot-market activity in 2019 for direct-reduction (DR) grade iron ore pellets, according to Saudi Arabian steelmaker Rajhi Steel.

The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Thursday November 8.

The new round of sanctions imposed by the United States on November 5 is expected to cut Iranian steel exports further, gradually leading to lower Iranian steel output, market sources believe.

Fastmarkets has today discontinued the weekly price assessment for molybdenum concentrate, 45% Mo, in China’s domestic market.

The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Wednesday November 7.

Flat steel import prices in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were mostly stable over the past week, with demand remaining limited, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday November 6.