IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from August 20

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Tuesday August 20 that are worth another look.

Cobalt prices have risen by more than 25% since Glencore announced it would close its Mutanda mine and – in doing so – brought forward expectations of a shortfall in cobalt supply.

Namibia-based tin mining company Afritin Mining has begun mining in the Erongo district of Namibia, producing its first batch of tin concentrates from its Uis project, while the company also signed a 12-month offtake agreement with Thailand Smelting and Refining Co Ltd (Thaisarco).

The development of the Kamoa-Kakula copper mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will receive a financial boost following a second major strategic equity investment by China’s Citic Metal in Canadian mining company Ivanhoe Mines.

Developments in China’s steel industry and the country’s persistent focus on implementation of environmental policies will underpin demand for high-quality seaborne iron ore, BHP said in an outlook document on August 20.

The European Commission (EC) proposed some adjustments to the existing safeguard measures for steel product imports in Europe to the World Trade Organization on August 14, Fastmarkets has learned.

What to read next
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 […]
The price assessments were not affected by the incorrect publication and the correct prices are showing on Dashboard. The price was published at 12.33pm London time instead of the scheduled time of 3-4pm. The following prices were published early:MB-CU-0405 Copper grade A cathode premium, in-whs Shanghai, $ per tonneMB-CU-0383 Copper grade A cathode ER premium, bonded in-whs […]
On Wednesday May 6, a critical minerals panel at Commodities Trading Week in London said metals markets are shifting from an energy transition-led narrative toward security of supply, leaving Europe particularly exposed because of its reliance on imports.