IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from April 15

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Monday April 15 that are worth another look.

Rusal intends to start an aluminium rolling mill in Kentucky, a key region for US aluminium production, with US holding company Braidy Industries Inc, the Russian aluminium producer said. 

Rio Tinto has committed $302 million of additional capital to advance its Resolution Copper project in the US state of Arizona, a mine that the company envisages will provide raw materials to help fuel the electromobility boom.

One concern at this year’s Minor Metals Trade Association (MMTA) conference overshadowed all other bearish factors affecting minor metals prices this year: the potential release of metal stocks held by the failed Fanya Metal Exchange.

The molybdenum market is set to remain volatile in 2019, Shaanxi Head-Moly sales director Jessica Young said during the annual MMTA conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, last week.

Producer stocks of cobalt sulfate, chloride and tetroxide need to record further drawdowns if cobalt prices are to recover meaningfully, Core Consultants managing director Lara Smith said.

What to read next
Aluminium market participants in the US anticipate stable business supported by continued tariffs and potential interest rate cuts, while industry sources in Europe and Latin America are watchful of potential new trade restrictions.
Chinese authorities officially announced that they will be expanding the range of permitted recycled copper and aluminium imports from mid-November, but market participants Fastmarkets spoke to at a conference this week are not convinced that this will mean more material will be imported into the country in the short run.
Li-Cycle announced on Thursday October 31 that it had entered an agreement with Glencore to sell 100% of the premium nickel-cobalt mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP) production at its stalled hub in Rochester, New York – a step that could support Li-Cycle’s efforts to finalize a loan with the US Department of Energy (DOE).
Unprecedented supply tightness and record low treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) are likely to challenge copper smelters in 2025 – even more than in 2024, sources told Fastmarkets.
The publication of Fastmarkets’ MB-PB-0086 lead 99.99% ingot premium, cif India and MB-PB-0087 lead 99.97% ingot premium, cif India assessments for Tuesday November 5 were delayed due to a reporter error.
Quarterly figures released by global miner Glencore on Wednesday October 30 showed that zinc concentrate output was dropping in a tight market while overall nickel output was down despite an increase in briquettes.