An increase in the number of physical scrap cargoes offered in key import market Vietnam in the the week to Thursday December 31 has dampened sentiment, market sources told Fastmarkets.

The rapid and significant falls in manganese ore prices in 2019 and 2020 have created "frozen stocks," which are believed to have acted as a buffer for the ore market while also demonstrating some different characteristics over both years, sources told Fastmarkets.

Following a consultation period, Fastmarkets will change the publication day of its four China minor metals price assessments from Wednesday to Friday, 2-3pm London time.

Fastmarkets will discontinue its tin ingot premiums on a seaborne basis to China from the start of January.

Import prices for containerized ferrous scrap into Taiwan continued on an uptrend in the week to Thursday December 24 amid limited supply and strong demand.

Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were up across the board this morning, Thursday December 24, while those on the London Metal Exchange were mixed.

Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States have moved above $50 per hundredweight ($1,000 per short ton) for the first time since early September 2008 thanks to a continuing supply shortage.

The publication of Fastmarkets’ China ferro-silicon price assessments for December 23 were delayed because of a reporting error on December 23.

Chilean lithium producer Sociedad Quimica y Minera (SQM) has signed a long-term supply agreement for high quality lithium cathode material with LG Energy Solutions, it said on Tuesday December 22.

US inspected for export came in at 762,937 over the week to December 17, weekly data from the USDA showed Monday...