EUROPEAN MORNING BRIEF 08/02: SHFE base metals succumb to profit-taking; Chinese cobalt prices; govt body calls for restart of ABI smelter talks

Good morning from Metal Bulletin’s offices in Shanghai as we bring you the latest news and pricing stories on Thursday February 8.

Base metals traded on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were broadly lower during Asian morning trading on Thursday, with only aluminium in positive territory, after a jump in the dollar overnight and a bout of profit-taking sank prices.

The most-traded April copper contract on the SHFE dropped to 52,020 yuan ($8,300) per tonne as of 10.21 am Shanghai time, down by 870 yuan per tonne or 1.6% from the previous day’s close.

Check Metal Bulletin’s live futures report here.

LME snapshot at 02.22 am London time
Latest three-month LME Prices
  Price ($ per tonne)  Change since yesterday’s close ($)
Copper 6,924 44
Aluminium 2,168 10
Lead 2,533 25
Zinc 3,418 38
Tin 21,615 5
Nickel 13,275 100

SHFE snapshot at 10.21 am Shanghai time
Most-traded SHFE contracts
  Price (yuan per tonne)  Change since yesterday’s close (yuan)
Copper  52,020 -870
Aluminium 14,270 65
Zinc 26,280 -200
Lead 19,070 -130
Tin  150,160 -1,000
Nickel  100,980 -1,280

Chinese cobalt metal prices softened over the past week due a slump in demand ahead of the Chinese New Year break (February 15-21).

The Quebec National Assembly in Canada has issued a motion calling for the resumption of negotiations between the Aluminerie de Bécancour Inc (ABI) smelter in Quebec and union workers with Syndicat des Métallos and the United Steelworkers union.

Non-ferrous scrap exports from the United States surged last year to the highest level since 2014, propelled largely by a surge in aluminum and copper scrap shipments to China.

Miners all too often lack a clear purpose and fail to approach investments with the appropriate due diligence, a method that drives shareholder returns lower, according to the chairman of Norilsk Nickel.

The heads of mining companies should not be complacent about higher prices and need to continue to run their operations as efficiently as possible, the chief executive officer of Konkola Copper Mines told Metal Bulletin. 

Brazil’s alumina export volumes inched up in January from a year earlier, with higher volumes to North America and Qatar offsetting the lack of shipments to South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

What to read next
The publication of Fastmarkets’ assessments of the nickel min 99.8% full plate premium, in-whs Shanghai, and the nickel min 99.8% full plate premium, cif Shanghai for Tuesday May 26 were delayed because of a reporter error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated. The following prices were affected:MB-NI-0143 Nickel min 99.8% full plate premium, in-whs Shanghai, […]
Copper producers, including Atlas Mining, reported higher earnings in the first quarter of 2026 on the back of elevated copper prices, while concentrate output declined at several operations in Chile, Brazil, Colombia and the Philippines due to lower ore grades and disruptions, according to company results reviewed by Fastmarkets.
The amendment follows the decision made on May 14, after a consultation period for the proposed changes which took place between April 3 and May 11. The changes were first proposed in a pricing note published on April 3.  The purpose of the changes is to align the publication times to the activity in the […]
The proposal follows Fastmarkets’ observations that the commodity sees inactive spot liquidity and low volatility in prices. The proposed new specifications for the prices are as follows, with the amendments in italics: MB-NI-0246 Nickel sulfate, cif Japan and Korea, $/tonneQuality: Accepted by buyer for use in battery applications with chemical composition: Ni content, base 22.3% […]
Based on preliminary market feedback, market participants noted that smaller-sized spot market transactions may be skewed and not reflective of the wider market. The aluminium P1020A(MJP), cif Japan, assessment specification which has a minimum tonnage of 100 tonnes will be amended to 500 tonnes after the proposed change. The proposed new specifications are as follows, […]
Fastmarkets consulted the market on the proposed change between April 3 and May 11, 2026. Some feedback was received regarding the publication times of nickel pig iron and laterite ore prices. Fastmarkets will adjust the initially proposed publication times accordingly and proceed with the changes. This decision was first proposed in a methodology note published […]