China’s premium for copper cathode imports increased after the country’s golden week holiday from September 29 to October, supported amid favorable import conditions, while the premium in the US copper market came under pressure due to excess supply, sources said

China’s granting of the first export licenses under its new controls on gallium and germanium, hafnium’s paused price increase and indium metal market fundamentals are likely to be topics of discussion throughout LME Week, which runs October 9-13

Spot trading in the copper concentrate market was inactive in the week to Friday September 29, with Chinese participants in holiday mode ahead of China’s weeklong break for the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day (September 29-October 6)

Aluminium premiums in Asia and the United States were little changed in the week to Tuesday September 26, while premiums in Europe declined across the board

China’s aluminium industry can expect to see growing demand from the downstream packaging sector, Fastmarkets understands, after the government proposed to speed up the use of aluminium foil in food packaging

Chinese seaborne manganese ore prices fell during the week to Friday September 8, following significant depreciation of the Chinese yuan against the US dollar, which added to buyer-side cost pressures, sources said

European spot copper market participants noted challenging market conditions in the week to Tuesday, August 22, with financing costs and weak demand putting downward pressure on premiums

China’s automotive output and sales both fell in July, on a month-on-month and year-on-year basis, because of reduced seasonal demand in the summer season and the higher base in July 2022, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said this week

Prior to this year, Chinese imports had fallen steadily for more than a decade but now the market appears to be shifting

Manganese ore prices, delivered to China, have been trending lower since early February, with Fastmarkets analysts and market sources expecting steady growth in supply and high inventory levels to drag on prices