EUROPEAN MORNING BRIEF 19/07: SHFE base metals recover; South32’s Mn ore output up 10%; Alcoa reins in full-year outlook

Good morning from Metal Bulletin’s offices in Asia as we bring you the latest news and pricing stories on Thursday July 19.

Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were up across the board during Asian morning trading on Thursday, with a retreat in the dollar index reviving investors’ appetite for the metals.

The most-traded September copper contract on the SHFE rose to 48,860 yuan ($7,293) per tonne as at 9.25am Shanghai time, up by 600 yuan per tonne or 1.2% from Wednesday’s closing price.

Check Metal Bulletin’s live futures report here.

South32 has announced a 10% year-on-year increase in manganese ore production for the financial year ended June 30, 2018, and record performance in Australia amid strong demand and prices during the period. 

Aluminium supplier Alcoa Corp has lowered its full-year earnings outlook after net income fell in the second quarter due to costs incurred as a result of the Section 232 import tariffs imposed by the United States in March.

UK long steel producer British Steel has announced plans to upgrade its wire rod line at Scunthorpe in England in 2019, to produce material in a wider range of sizes (up to 28mm) and to tighter tolerances, with better surface quality and micro-structural properties.

Spot titanium alloy prices were unchanged over the past week, despite the summer lull weighing on demand.

What to read next
The publication of the affected prices was delayed for 50 minutes. The following indices were published late: MB-MNO-0001 Manganese ore high grade index, cif Tianjin, $ per dmtu MB-MNO-0002 Manganese ore semi carbonate index, 36.5% Mn, fob Port Elizabeth, $/dmtu MB-MNO-0003 Manganese ore semi carbonate index, 36.5% Mn, cif Tianjin, $/dmtu These prices are a part of the […]
Fastmarkets proposes to amend the specifications of its weekly price assessment for MB-STE-0037 steel rebar domestic exw Italy to better reflect the material traded in the market.
The global copper market has finally received the widely anticipated news that imports to the US will be tariffed from August 1. The finer details of the tariffs, including their scope, and whether key copper-exporting nations like Chile, Canada and Peru will be exempt, remain unclear.
The purpose of this review is to ensure that the index continues to accurately reflect prevailing market conditions. We welcome feedback from industry participants on potential amendments to the base specification. This consultation, which is open until August 9, 2025 seeks to ensure that our methodologies continue to reflect the physical market under indexation, in […]
Information came to light that mill buying offers had been adjusted for July following Fastmarkets’ settlement of these prices on that date, leading to an incorrect published assessment for the following grades: MB-STE-0789 Steel scrap No1 heavy melting, consumer buying price, fob Montreal, Canadian $/net ton was previously published at C$245 ($179.41) per net ton, a C$10 […]
Mexico’s production and consumption of long steel fell year-on-year in May due to weakness in the country's construction sector, but posted a month on month gain, according to the latest data from the Mexican steel chamber, CANACERO.