EUROPEAN MORNING BRIEF 08/06: Nickel leads SHFE base metals downward; demand prospects supportive for copper; copper mine development becoming more difficult

Good morning from Metal Bulletin’s office in Singapore as we bring you the latest news and pricing stories on Friday June 8.

Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were down across the board during Asian morning trading on Friday, with nickel prices, under pressure from the weakening buyer sentiment seen in the stainless steel sector and bouts of profit-taking, leading the decline.

Check Metal Bulletin’s live futures report here.

LME snapshot at 2.53am London time
Latest three-month LME Prices
  Price
($ per tonne)
 Change since Thursday’s close ($)
Copper 7,243 -4
Aluminium 2,292 7
Lead 2,487 -9
Zinc 3,153 -10
Tin 21,210 -10
Nickel 15,460 40

SHFE snapshot at 9.58am Shanghai time
Most-traded SHFE contracts
  Price
(yuan per tonne)
 Change since Thursday’s close
(yuan)
Copper  53,940 -220
Aluminium 14,895 -190
Zinc 24,365 -95
Lead 20,385 -260
Tin  152,280 -1,180
Nickel  115,940 -2,070

Healthy copper demand will persist, supported by growth in emerging economies and the metal’s application in the growing electric vehicle market, according to panelists at Metal Bulletin’s fourth annual copper seminar on Wednesday.

Copper mine development is becoming increasingly difficult due to a range of factors, according to industry participants, and during a time when more supply is needed to meet a looming deficit.

China’s environmental checks to damp copper output in Jiangxi province as primary copper smelting capacities have been partly suspended, sources told Metal Bulletin on Thursday.

Assertions that cobalt could soon be eliminated altogether from electric vehicles (EVs) are simply wrong, according to the chief executive officer of First Cobalt.

The European Commission is to introduce new trade defense rules that will come into force on June 8, it said on Thursday.

What to read next
Fastmarkets will include EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) costs in its secondary aluminium billet premium, ddp Europe (MB-AL-0383) and its primary aluminium 6063 extrusion billet premium, in-whs dp Rotterdam (MB-AL-0002) assessments from January 1, 2026, when the definitive period of the EU’s CBAM is set to begin. The inclusion of CBAM costs with MB-AL-0383 and MB-AL-0002 will enable […]
Gain valuable insights into the copper market outlook 2026, including key trends and challenges facing mines and smelters next year.
Fastmarkets launches a price assessment for MB-AL-0426 aluminium scrap, old sheet (Taint/Tabor), shredded and sorted, delivered consumer Europe, % of LME, on Friday November 28.
Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated. The publication of the affected price was delayed for 1 hour and 43 minutes. The following assessment was published late: MB-ZN-0099 Zinc SHG min 99.995% ingot premium, dp fca Antwerp, $/tonne This price is a part of the Fastmarkets base metals package. For more information or to provide feedback on […]
Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated. The publication of the affected price was delayed for 1 hour and 43 minutes. The following price was affected: MB-AL-0004 Aluminium P1020A premium, in-whs dp Rotterdam, $/tonne This price is a part of the Fastmarkets’ base metals package. For more information or to provide feedback on the delayed publication of […]
The publication of Fastmarkets’ MB-AL-0343 Aluminium P1020A (MJP) spot premium, cif Japan, for Wednesday November 19 was delayed because of a reporter error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated. The following price was affected:MB-AL-0343 Aluminium P1020A (MJP) spot premium, cif Japan This price is a part of the Fastmarkets base metals package. For more information or […]