EUROPEAN MORNING BRIEF 29/01: SHFE base metals kick off the week strongly; LME copper prices shrug off stock increase; nickel price volatility

Good morning from Metal Bulletin’s office in Shanghai, as we bring you the latest news and pricing stories on Monday January 29.

Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were stronger across the board during Asian morning trading on Monday, with zinc the star performer, as the complex continued to benefit from a softer dollar.

Check Metal Bulletin’s live futures report here.

LME snapshot at 02.05 am London time
Latest three-month LME Prices
Price ($ per tonne)  Change since Friday’s close ($)
Copper 7,152 67
Aluminium 2,265 8
Lead 2,648.5 55.5
Zinc 3,576 98
Tin 21,750 150
Nickel 14,020 370

SHFE snapshot at 10.05 am Shanghai time
Most-traded SHFE contracts
Price (yuan per tonne)  Change since Friday’s close (yuan)
Copper (March) 53,700 270
Aluminium(March) 14,750 125
Zinc(March) 27,185 1,000
Lead(March) 19,755 285
Tin (May) 149,960 2,870
Nickel (May) 106,880 2,520

Copper prices remained resilient last week despite deliveries into London Metal Exchange sheds that totaled more than 100,000 tonnes – and do not necessarily reflect changes in supply-demand fundamentals.

Nickel prices on the LME have climbed 10% since the start of 2018 – with the dollar the main supporting factor of the rise, the spotlight is being shone on the nickel price’s extreme volatility.

Eurasian Resources Group has completed the construction of two bauxite mines in the Kostanay region of Kazakhstan, bringing 1.3 million tonnes per year of bauxite on stream, captive to Aluminium of Kazakhstan’s needs.

First Quantum Minerals posted a 24.5% year-on-year decline in its 2017 production results, highlighting the general deceleration in global output of the material.

Trucking-related issues have continued to drive up operating costs in the United States secondary aluminium market, pushing some aluminium scrap and secondary aluminium alloy prices higher.

Correspondent Dalton Barker recaps the week in the non-ferrous markets.

And finally, be sure to check the latest ferro-vanadium and vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) transactions, bids, offers and assessments in Europe. Click here to read our January trade log.

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 […]