IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from June 11

Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Thursday June 11 that are worth another look.

GFG Alliance is to create its first “Greensteel” facility in Europe at its Liberty Steel facility in Galati, Romania, as part of its plan to become carbon neutral by 2030, the company said this week.

A deal for third-quarter aluminium ingot supply to Japan has been concluded at a premium of $68 per tonne cif main Japanese ports (MJP), sources told Fastmarkets on June 11 – a drop of 20% from a deal done last week.

Zambian blister copper producer Chambishi (CCS) has brought forward its 43-day maintenance plan after being hit by a furnace outage since early June, Fastmarkets understands.

A slew of extensive stimulus measures to boost the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in Europe in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic is unlikely to provide any immediate support to prices for cobalt and lithium in China, according to market participants.

Chinese vanadium price rises have increased the differential with the European vanadium market, sparking interest in import business in China, market sources told Fastmarkets.

What to read next
The US aluminium industry is experiencing challenges related to tariffs, which have contributed to higher prices and premiums, raising questions about potential impacts on demand. Alcoa's CEO has noted that sustained high prices could affect the domestic market. While trade agreements might provide some relief, analysts expect premiums to remain elevated in the near term. However, aluminum demand is projected to grow over the long term, supported by the energy transition and clean energy projects. To meet this demand, the industry will need to increase production, restart idle smelters and address factors such as electricity costs and global competition.
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China has launched a coordinated crackdown on the illegal export of strategic minerals under export control, such as antimony, gallium, germanium, tungsten and rare earths, the country’s Ministry of Commerce announced on Friday May 9.
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The US-China trade truce announced on May 12 has brought cautious optimism to China’s non-ferrous metals markets, signaling a possible shift in global trade. Starting May 14, the removal of additional tariffs has impacted sectors like battery raw materials, minor metals and base metals such as zinc and nickel, with mixed reactions. While the improved sentiment has lifted futures prices and trade activity, the long-term effects remain unclear due to challenges like supply-demand pressures and export controls.