IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from July 31

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday July 31 that are worth another look.

A fundamental industry that has always been a primary facilitator of global trade, shipping aims to be at the forefront of digital technology. This report explores initiatives at the Dutch Port of Rotterdam – Europe’s largest port by cargo tonnage – and how those connect with global trade.

India’s Directorate General of Trade Remedies has denied carrying out investigations that could result in safeguard duties being imposed on steel product imports into the country.

Japanese copper smelters have signed supply contracts for copper concentrate with treatment and refining charges of $68 per tonne/6.8 cents per lb, seven informed sources confirmed to Fastmarkets.

Dramatic inflows of lead stock into London Metal Exchange warehouses this week have challenged the market notion of physical tightness following a suspension at Nyrstar’s Port Pirie smelter, which has been cited as the key driver of a recent surge in the lead price.

Metinvest chief executive officer Yuriy Ryzhenkov discusses the challenges the company has overcome and the strategies for its future prosperity.

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The news that President-elect Donald Trump is considering additional tariffs on goods from China as well as on all products from US trading partners Canada and Mexico has spurred alarm in the US aluminium market at a time that is usually known to be calm.
Unlike most other commodities, cobalt is primarily a by-product – with 60% derived from copper and 38% from nickel – so how will changes in those markets change the picture for cobalt in the coming months following a year of price weakness and oversupply in 2024?
Copper recycling will become increasingly critical as the world transitions to cleaner energy systems, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a special report published early this week.
Fastmarkets proposes to lower the frequency of its assessments for MB-AL-0389 aluminium low-carbon differential P1020A, US Midwest and MB-AL-0390 aluminium low-carbon differential value-added product US Midwest. Fastmarkets also proposes to extend the timing window of these same assessments to include any transaction data concluded within up to 18 months.
Fastmarkets invited feedback from the industry on its non-ferrous and industrial minerals methodologies, via an open consultation process between October 8 and November 6, 2024. This consultation was done as part of our published annual methodology review process.