IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from April 12

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Friday April 12 that are worth another look.

Sentiment was unusually bearish at this year’s Cesco week in Santiago, Chile, with copper market participants increasingly concerned that sluggish demand in China will limit the upside potential of the red metal price. 

Steel market participants in the United Kingdom and Europe renewed calls for the European Union and the UK to reach an agreement and avoid continued market uncertainty after the UK was granted a six-month extension to delay Brexit until Thursday October 31.

A safeguarding investigation into imports of semi-finished iron products, non-alloy steel and steel rebar by Egypt’s Ministry of Trade & Industry could lead to a fall in billet, rebar and scrap prices.

In copper, Antofagasta is running a series of projects to help the company achieve its targeted reduction in emissions over the next few years, a move that would both lower its carbon footprint and cut costs, the company’s chief executive officer told Fastmarkets in an interview during the annual Cesco Week in Santiago, Chile. Separately, Mopani Copper Mines Plc confirmed that it restarted operations at its Nkana and Mufulira mines in Zambia on Wednesday April 10 following an investigation into five fatalities at the two sites earlier this year.

Expectations for steel slab prices remained weak in most regions of the world in the week ended Thursday April 11 despite low availability of material from producers in the CIS.

What to read next
Half a million tonnes of copper is sitting in US warehouses, and the traders who put it there are starting to wonder whether they’ve built a hedge, or a trap.
European automotive procurement faces growing complexity due to regional cost volatility and policy-driven supply chains reshaping material pricing and sourcing strategies. This demands granular, region-specific market intelligence for precise cost modeling and strategic decision-making.
The assessment, which currently follows the UK holiday calendar, will follow the Singapore holiday calendar after the proposed change. There will be no change to the publication timing, and the assessment will continue to be published weekly on Wednesdays, at 7pm Singapore time. The purpose of the adjustment is to align the timing to the […]
JX Advanced Metals, Mitsui Kinzoku, Marubeni and Mitsubishi Materials(MMC) inked a deal to integrate MMC's copper concentrate procurement and related products sales business into Pan Pacific Copper (PPC), marking a significant consolidation of Japan's copper concentrate purchasing sector amid persistent pressure from weak treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs).
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.