IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from April 22

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Monday April 22 that are worth another look.

The US copper market began trading in the red on Monday April 22, with market participants bearish despite a softer dollar and growing optimism of a breakthrough in American and Chinese trade talks.

Brazilian steelmaker and miner Usiminas maintained its production target of 7.5-8 million tonnes of iron ore in 2019 despite uncertainties that surround the start of operations at two plants needed to reach that volume, head of mining unit Carlos Rezzonico said on Friday.

China has reached peak annual steel consumption of 850-900 million tonnes, the China Iron and Steel Association said.

Global diversified mining and metals company South32 raised its 2019 production guidance for manganese ore to 5,630,000 wet metric tonnes, up by 89,000 tonnes from 5,541,000 tonnes in the 2018 financial year in response to favorable demand in the market.

The price of antimony in China stalled in the latest assessment period ended on April 17, with the country’s suppliers holding offers relatively firm as consumer enthusiasm in restocking waned.

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Own-sourced copper output from Glencore’s African copper assets — KCC and Mutanda in the Democratic Republic of Congo — surged by 68% year on year to 67,900 tonnes over the same period, while Glencore’s cobalt production fell by 39% year on year amid the DRC’s export quota system.
Copper’s long-term outlook is constrained by the industry’s limited ability to bring new supply online fast enough to meet rising demand, with permitting delays, higher capital costs and policy risks slowing project development, industry executives said at the FT Commodities Global Summit on Wednesday April 22.
Capital is flowing back into junior mining, but selectively. Investment is increasingly favouring development‑stage assets with clearer paths to production, supported by government funding and strategic partnerships. While demand for critical minerals underpins the cycle, early‑stage explorers continue to struggle for capital as investors prioritise discipline, ESG alignment and near‑term cash flow.
Copper in concentrate production from Ivanhoe Mines' Kamoa-Kakula complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) fell to 61,906 tonnes in the first quarter, down by 54% from 133,120 tonnes a year earlier, with the company now evaluating local third-party concentrate purchases to advance the ramp-up of its on-site smelter, according to an April 13 production release as the market focused its attention on the impact of global sulfuric acid shortages during CESCO Week in Chile from April 13-17.
China's planned sulfuric acid export ban from May 1, historic lows for copper concentrates treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) and a fragmenting 2026 benchmark system dominated CESCO Week 2026 in Santiago from April 13-17.
The proposal would align the index more closely with physically traded volumes in the region, and enable it to adjust to evolving market conditions. This proposal follows an observed widening of the spread between trader and smelter purchase components of the index and is aligned with a majority of market feedback. Additionally, Fastmarkets seeks feedback […]