IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from March 1

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Friday March 1 that are worth another look.

Copper-starved London Metal Exchange warehouses could receive a long-awaited influx of metal from an unexpected source, Fastmarkets has learned.

The LME has released its pricing procedures and methodologies for the scheduled release of its cash-settled futures contracts on March 11, highlighting methods in which the bourse will determine daily settlement prices.

Mining operations at Rusal’s 2.3-million-tonne-per-year Bauxite Co of Guyana Inc have been suspended for 14 days due to strike action, with no timeline for the return of workers.

Miners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are starting to look at blockchain as a way to provide supply chain traceability in compliance with customer and regulatory requirements, Lance Hooper, chief operating officer of Canadian resource company Cobalt Blockchain, said.

Ahead of Fastmarkets’ Battery Materials 2019 conference in Shanghai, Fastmarkets looks at the use of lithium in next-generation vehicles and other battery uses as well as soaring prices, which have spurred interest in lithium and boosted its importance in recent years as a battery material.

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.
Read Fastmarkets' monthly base metals market for May 2025 focusing on raw materials including copper, nickel aluminium, lead, zinc and tin.
The Mexico Metals Outlook 2025 conference explored challenges and opportunities in the steel, aluminum and scrap markets, focusing on tariffs, nearshoring, capacity growth and global trends.
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.
Fastmarkets proposes to amend the frequency of Taiwan base metals prices from biweekly to monthly, and the delivery timing for the tin 99.99% ingot premium from two weeks to four weeks.
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.