IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from December 4

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday December 4 that are worth another look.

French special steelmaker Ascoval, part of the British Steel group, is to supply 140,000 tonnes per year of semi-finished products, rectangular blooms, to rail manufacturing specialist BSFR (British Steel France Rail) to be processed into rails for the SNCF Réseau national train network at its plant in Hayange, France.

The Chinese government has approved a seventh round of copper scrap import quotas for this year at lower volumes compared to the previous batch, Fastmarkets has learned.

Hebei Steel, China’s second largest steel mill, released its purchase price for silico-manganese at 5,950 yuan ($844) per tonne for December delivery, down by 150 yuan per tonne from its November tender price, market sources told Fastmarkets on December 4.

Global nickel premiums were unchanged in the week ended Tuesday December 3 amid limited spot activity while participants were busy focusing on long-term contract negotiations or celebrating regional holidays.

Taiwanese buyers of zinc ingot have signed 2020 annual supply contracts with major zinc producers at lower premiums compared with this year, sources with knowledge of the matter told Fastmarkets.

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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.