IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from February 3

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Monday February 3 that are worth another look.

The sell-off of Chinese steel futures this morning is a sign that “worse is to come” for global steel prices, market sources told Fastmarkets on February 3.

Canadian copper producer Taseko has decided to take action to protect itself against the tumbling London Metal Exchange copper price.

The UG2 chrome ore and ferro-chrome alloy markets in China were stable over the week ending on Friday January 31, although some market participants think travel restrictions could push up prices when buyers return from the Chinese New Year holiday.

The seaborne prices for both high and low-grade manganese ore in China ticked down in the week to January 31 in response to weakening sentiment amid the worsening coronavirus outbreak.

Cobalt prices held on to their recent gains on February 3, finding support because of the limited supplies of readily available material.

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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.