Panic selling in the major Vietnamese hot-rolled coil import market has let prices dip below $1,000 per tonne cfr Vietnam for SAE1006-grade materials this week, sources said on May 21.

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mainly stronger this morning, Thursday May 20, on dip buying, while those on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were down across the board in reaction to the 3.5% average loss on the LME on Wednesday.

London Metal Exchange three-month copper futures hit $10,720 per tonne in May amid disruption from the Covid-19 pandemic and political tensions affecting material supply from mines.

Brazil's northern ports - the so-called Northern Arc - will be pivotal in driving the country’s corn and soybean exports over the next decade due to the new investments that will continue to improve the region’s infrastructure, sources said.

Blockchain technology platform MineHub and digital trade finance network Contour have partnered to integrate their digital metals, mining-focused supply chain, and trade finance technology, the companies said.

The United States plans to “make up for lost time” in the battle against climate change by developing new technologies and investing in the products that will drive the transition to a global, low-carbon economy, according to the country’s Treasury chief, Janet Yellen.

Seaborne coking coal prices surged up in both the cfr and fob markets on Friday May 14 due to increased buying interest and positive market sentiment in both markets.

Base metals prices on both the LME and SHFE were mainly weaker this morning, Thursday May 13, this after some choppy trading in recent days and the greater-than-expected pick-up in the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday.

Turkish steel producers continued to pay higher prices for deep-sea scrap after securing more billet sales into China, market participants told Fastmarkets on Tuesday May 11.

Pilbara Minerals is targeting “mid-stream” lithium salts production to achieve a greener and better supply chain, Dale Henderson, the Australia-listed lithium miner’s chief operating officer, said during an investor meeting on Tuesday May 11.