EUROPEAN MORNING BRIEF 21/11: SHFE base metals prices under pressure; Chinese buyers to shift to spot market for cobalt raw materials; agreement reached over EU cadmium cap

Good morning from Fastmarkets MB’s offices in Asia as we bring you the latest news and pricing stories on Wednesday November 21.

Base metal prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were broadly lower during Asian morning trading on Wednesday amid a rise in risk-off sentiment stemming from weakness in global equity markets and a collapse in oil prices.

Check Fastmarket MB’s live futures report here.

London Metal Exchange, base metals prices

Shanghai Futures Exchange, base metals prices

Members of the European Parliament and the European Union Council of Ministers have reached a provisional agreement on a limit for cadmium content in phosphate fertilizers sold within the EU.

Chinese buyers have been reluctant to commit to long-term contracts for cobalt raw materials for 2019 during this year’s mating season, Fastmarkets MB has learned.

Turkish steel mills have continued to hold back from making deep-sea scrap purchases due to fear of product outflow from China, sources said on Tuesday.

Vedanta unit Sterlite Copper intends to ship a portion of its copper concentrate inventories accrued before it declared force majeure in April, sources with knowledge of the situation told Fastmarkets MB.

What to read next
After a one-month consultation period, Fastmarkets has amended the frequency of its price assessments for MB-MAG-0005 Magnesia, dead burned, 97.5% MgO, lump, fob China, MB-MAG-0002 Magnesia, dead burned, 90% MgO, lump, fob China, MB-MAG-0009 Magnesia, fused, 97% MgO, Ca:Si 2:1, lump, fob China, and MB-MAG-0007 Magnesia, fused, 98% MgO, lump, fob China, to monthly from […]
The publication of Fastmarkets’ molybdenum drummed molybdic oxide – in-whs Busan, MB-FEO-0004, and in-whs Rotterdam, MB-FEO-0003 – and ferro-molybdenum 65% Mo min, in-whs Rotterdam, MB-FEO-0001, price assessments were delayed because of slow data processing on Friday May 23. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated. The publication of these prices was delayed for 12 minutes. The […]
This price assessment aims to enhance transparency in the Indonesian coke market. Fastmarkets has observed a significant volume of Indonesian coke entering the global market in recent months, establishing Indonesia as a key exporter of coke worldwide since 2023. In the first seven months of 2024, Poland, China and Indonesia were the top three coke exporters globally.  […]
The MB-AL-0408 aluminium low-carbon differential P1020A, cif Mexico was published at 3:02pm London time on May 20 instead of the scheduled time of 3-4pm on May 27. The erroneous price has been removed from Fastmarkets’ pricing database. The price will next be published on May 27 at its usual time. This price is a part of the Fastmarkets […]
The US trade roller coaster ride seems to be flattening, with signs of potential moderation and stability. It appears increasingly likely that our original expectation that the US Trump administration would primarily use the threat of tariffs as a negotiating strategy will be correct. While we do not expect to the US tariff position return to pre-2025 levels, we believe the overall US tariff burden is more likely to settle at around 10-30% globally rather than the elevated rates of 50-100% that seemed possible in recent weeks.
To increase transparency, Fastmarkets has further clarified how it handles price movements during periods of low liquidity. Factors that Fastmarkets may consider during times of low liquidity include, but are not limited to: market fundamentals such as changes in inventory levels, shipments, operating rates and export volumes; relative fundamentals of similar commodities in the same […]