IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from August 28

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday August 28 that are worth another look.

Australian lithium spodumene producer Galaxy Resources has bought Alita Resources’ debt for $31.1 million, including interest, fees and costs.

Chinese aluminium producers are ramping up production on improved aluminium prices, with output at one smelter – Shanxi Meixin Industry – now running at full capacity of 300,000 tonnes per year, sources have told Fastmarkets.

Currency exchange rates can make or break a steel trade, and with forex volatility in emerging markets expected to continue for the rest of the year, the Asian ferrous markets are likely to see more price fluctuations before the end of 2019.

The Shanghai copper cathode premium was higher in the week to Tuesday August 27, marking the fifth uptick this month largely due to emerging tightness in SX-EW availability, while broadly stagnant demand over the summer period has limited spot business in Europe and the United States.

Quieter market conditions in the United States ahead of the national Labor Day holiday in early September caused the US zinc premium to fall on the top end of its range on August 27, while increased demand for secondary lead due to the smelter shutdown at Port Pirie supported the secondary lead premium in Taiwan.

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The Mexican aluminium market might be strongly affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with supply constraints and consequently higher premiums, market participants told Fastmarkets on Tuesday March 10.
Lundin Mining and BHP published a preliminary economic assessment on February 16 for their Vicuña joint venture, projecting average annual copper production of 395,000 tonnes over the first 25 years of operation as Argentina’s copper concentrate pipeline continues to build. PSJ Cobre Mendocino separately confirmed on February 14 that its feasibility study was under way.
Chinese lead smelters turned more bearish on the procurement of raw materials in the week to Friday February 13, amid heightened price volatility in silver, which is often contained in lead ores as an important by-product and contributor to smelter profits, sources told Fastmarkets.