IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from January 24

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday January 24 that are worth another look.

An ad hoc coalition of more than 45 groups from various industries in the United States has called on President Donald Trump’s administration to end the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from Canada and Mexico.

Chinese steelmakers’ narrowing margins and improvements in the supply of Brazilian iron ore have resulted in lower penalties for alumina content in the steelmaking raw material recently, although there are factors that could raise buyers’ sensitivity toward this impurity in the coming months.

Cobalt product prices in China were broadly steady on Wednesday January 23 due to limited availability of prompt cargoes, but market participants are wary of price vulnerability after the Chinese New Year holiday on February 4-10.

Ferrous scrap consumption in the United Kingdom will continue to increase over the coming years amid an expansion in the UK operations of international metals group Liberty House, Fastmarkets MB’s research team believes.

M2 Cobalt Corp and Jervois Mining Ltd plan to merge in a deal that will complement the latter’s ambitions in East Africa as part of its focus on the growing battery metals market.