The United Kingdom and European Union have reached an agreement on a trade deal that will ensure tariff-free trading of most goods between the country and the bloc after December 31 when the withdrawal transition period ends, easing metals and minerals market participants’ fears of logistics paralysis and material shortages.

The new coronavirus strain found in the United Kingdom has raised fears of scrap supply shortages which could feed the runaway prices in Asia, market sources told Fastmarkets in the week to Thursday December 24.

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.

Nickel’s three-month price on the London Metal Exchange was down by 1.6% during morning trading on Tuesday December 22, with the rest of the complex mostly trading lower given the spread of a new variant of Covid-19 across Europe.

Steel scrap prices have risen again across all major consumer markets over the past week, driven by solid demand and constrained supplies.

The price of shredded steel scrap imported jumped by almost $30 per tonne on Friday December 18 due to continued tightness in container availability and a strong international market, sources told Fastmarkets.

Base metals prices on both the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were generally firmer this morning, Wednesday December 16, with prices holding up in high ground, backed by optimism that vaccines will lead to stronger recoveries next year, while the weaker dollar and concerns about inflation were also supportive.

Stainless steel producer Outokumpu has upgraded its guidance for the fourth quarter of 2020 following better-than-expected sales, the Finnish company said on Tuesday December 15.

German metals distributor Klöckner & Co has improved its earnings forecasts for the fourth quarter and full year of 2020 due to the ongoing steel market recovery, the company said on Tuesday December 15.