IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from January 16

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday January 16 that are worth another look.

Trading activity in the Iranian export market for steel billet and slab slowed down in the week ended Wednesday January 15, with the United States tightening its sanctions against a number of the Middle Eastern country’s major steelmakers amid increased tension between the two nations.

Fresh off the delivery of its first commercial batch from the Alcoa-Rio Tinto joint-venture Elysis to Apple last month, Alcoa expects the market will soon create a separate premium for less-carbon intensive aluminium, but the producer believes the market is not ready just yet.

Copper production at the Deziwa copper-cobalt project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has officially come online in January 2020, following successful trial operations in December 2019, sources told Fastmarkets this week.

A preliminary trade agreement between the United States and China has done little to change the outlook for industrial minerals and minor metals, with no sign of a reversal for tariffs on Chinese material and no firm commitments on Chinese purchases.

South32 reduced high-cost trucking of manganese ore at its South African operations in the three months to December 31, 2019, in response to lower manganese ore prices, the miner announced on January 16.

What to read next
Fastmarkets has corrected its assessment for MB-STE-0047 Steel hot-rolled coil import, cfr main port Southern Europe, €/tonne published on Wednesday April 29.
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.
In this episode of Fast Forward, Andrea Hotter speaks with Stella Li, executive vice president at BYD, one of the world’s fastest-growing electric vehicle and battery companies. From ultra-fast charging and vertical integration to global expansion and shifting consumer expectations, Stella explains how BYD is redefining what it means to be a carmaker.
Fastmarkets will launch fortnightly bismuth and indium prices on a DDP US basis beginning on Friday May 1, following a consultation period.
The publication of Fastmarkets’ MB-ALU-0002 Alumina index, fob Australia, $/tonne and inferred alumina prices for Thursday April 23 was delayed because of a procedural error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated.
The publication of Fastmarkets’ price assessments of steel hot-rolled coil index domestic, exw Italy and steel hot-rolled coil index domestic, exw Northern Europe for Wednesday April 22 was delayed due to a reporter error. The Fastmarkets pricing database has been updated.