IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from January 29

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday January 29 that are worth another look.

Sentiment in the seaborne iron ore and Asian steel markets has deteriorated amid a rapid spread of the 2019-nCoV – or Wuhan novel coronavirus – in China, which appears to have intensified in the last week.

Primary aluminium stocks at the main Japanese port of Nagoya declined by 8% month on month at the end of December 2019, according to data released by major Japanese trading house Marubeni Corp.

Copper premiums in Europe were stable in the week ended Tuesday January 28 after a drop in the three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange failed to stimulate demand for the metal.

The low price of lithium and cost overruns on junior projects have made investors cautious about the sector, creating doubt about whether lithium juniors will be able to access capital and ensure a supply of lithium in the years ahead.

The Rotterdam uncut nickel cathode and US nickel briquette premiums rose in the week to January 28 on firmer demand for the former and weaker supply for the latter, while premiums in China held firm with participants out of the market for the extended Lunar New Year break.

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On Thursday October 24, the US Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released the final rules regarding the Section 45X credits under the US Internal Revenues Code. The final rules clarify definitions and confirm credit amounts for eligible components, including solar and wind energy, inverters, qualifying battery components and applicable critical minerals. […]
Nickel premiums remained stable worldwide, with the London Metal Exchange's three-month nickel price hitting its lowest point since mid-September.
Imports of cobalt intermediates have continued to rise in China, with January-September volumes already exceeding that of the entire previous year. This excessive inflow has led to an enduring oversupply in the domestic cobalt market, sources have told Fastmarkets
Market participants disagreed over the cause of the long queues to withdraw aluminium from London Metal Exchange-registered warehouses at Port Klang in Malaysia, Fastmarkets heard on Thursday October 17
Copper concentrate treatment charges (TCs) are expected to remain low in 2025, with the market likely to remain tight, sources from across the industry told Fastmarkets.