IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from June 18

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Tuesday June 18 that are worth another look.

Chilean state-owned copper producer Codelco is running its Chuquicamata division at half capacity, due to strike action by three unions at the site in northern Chile.

GFG Alliance, the parent of Liberty Steel USA, is open to possible mergers, a top company executive told attendees during a keynote presentation at the Steel Success Strategies XXXIV conference in New York on Tuesday June 18.

Pala Investments will buy 100% of the remaining shares in Cobalt 27 for Canadian $501 million ($374 million), the companies said on June 18.

Production of battery materials, including cobalt sulfate and nickel sulfate, at Guangxi Yinyi Advanced Material will not be affected by the bankruptcy of its parent company, Yinyi Group, Fastmarkets understands. 

Ferro-silicon prices in China were steady in the week ended June 14 with the release of a largely unchanged benchmark tender price, firm futures and tighter availability for prompt material providing support.

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Fastmarkets consulted the market on the proposed change between April 3 and May 11, 2026. Some feedback was received regarding the publication times of nickel pig iron and laterite ore prices. Fastmarkets will adjust the initially proposed publication times accordingly and proceed with the changes. This decision was first proposed in a methodology note published […]
The price assessments were not affected by the incorrect publication and the correct prices are showing on Dashboard. The price was published at 12.33pm London time instead of the scheduled time of 3-4pm. The following prices were published early:MB-CU-0405 Copper grade A cathode premium, in-whs Shanghai, $ per tonneMB-CU-0383 Copper grade A cathode ER premium, bonded in-whs […]
On Wednesday May 6, a critical minerals panel at Commodities Trading Week in London said metals markets are shifting from an energy transition-led narrative toward security of supply, leaving Europe particularly exposed because of its reliance on imports.
The Canadian government announced on Tuesday May 4 a new financing program worth C$1.5 billion ($1.1 billion) to help mitigate the effect of US metals tariffs and support several of Canada’s tariffed industries.
Fastmarkets wishes to clarify that it accepts data submissions in outright price and as a differential to the Mineral Benchmark Price (HPM)-plus-premium for its Indonesian domestic trade nickel ore price assessments. Fastmarkets is also seeking market feedback on recent changes to the Indonesian government’s HPM specifications.
Own-sourced copper output from Glencore’s African copper assets — KCC and Mutanda in the Democratic Republic of Congo — surged by 68% year on year to 67,900 tonnes over the same period, while Glencore’s cobalt production fell by 39% year on year amid the DRC’s export quota system.