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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from March 16

Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday March 16 that are worth another look.

March 17, 2020
By Generic people page
Base metals Copper

A sharp decline in market sentiment, linked to the spread of the coronavirus (2019-nCoV), has halted activity and reduced prices in the Japanese construction steel sector, steelmaker Tokyo Steel said.

Rio Tinto has slowed work on the underground project at its Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mine in Mongolia because of the coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak but it continues to operate and ship copper concentrates from the mine’s open pit.

The seaborne price of manganese ore in China fell to a two-months low in the week ended Friday March 13, after miners cut their offer prices in an attempt to offload material amid deteriorating sentiment.

Galaxy Resources expects to meet its production target of around 14,000-17,000 dry metric tonnes (dtm) of lithium concentrate for the first quarter of 2020 at its Western Australia spodumene project, Mt Cattlin, following the resumption of activities there in February.

The vanadium pentoxide price in Europe tumbled by more than 20% last week amid weakening demand and a falling alloys market, driven by growing fears of a global economic slowdown due to the novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) outbreak.

What to read next
Fastmarkets to launch three new China copper scrap grades, increase frequency
Fastmarkets will increase the frequency of its two existing CIF China port copper scrap prices and add three new grades on Monday March 16.
March 16, 2026
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By Fastmarkets pricing team
Copper coils up close
How Gulf port disruptions impact global base metal exports
Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Port of Sohar in Oman are becoming tactical workarounds for base metal exports blocked by the Strait of Hormuz closure, with cargo transiting via land-bridge to other Gulf states, such as Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates – though capacity constraints and elevated logistics costs limit availability, sources with direct visibility of Gulf supply chains told Fastmarkets.
March 13, 2026
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By Viral Shah
Aluminum ingots
Middle East conflict might create supply constraints, raise in aluminium premiums in Mexico
The Mexican aluminium market might be strongly affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with supply constraints and consequently higher premiums, market participants told Fastmarkets on Tuesday March 10.
March 12, 2026
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By Leticia Simionato
Copper cathode
Lundin, BHP’s Vicuña project targets 395,000 tpy of copper concentrate from Argentina
Lundin Mining and BHP published a preliminary economic assessment on February 16 for their Vicuña joint venture, projecting average annual copper production of 395,000 tonnes over the first 25 years of operation as Argentina’s copper concentrate pipeline continues to build. PSJ Cobre Mendocino separately confirmed on February 14 that its feasibility study was under way.
March 10, 2026
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By Julienne Raboca
Architecture, Building, Cityscape
Chinese lead smelters cautious on concentrates purchases amid silver price volatility
Chinese lead smelters turned more bearish on the procurement of raw materials in the week to Friday February 13, amid heightened price volatility in silver, which is often contained in lead ores as an important by-product and contributor to smelter profits, sources told Fastmarkets.
March 10, 2026
 · 
By Shiyue Zhao
A shipping tanker sailing through the Straight of Hormuz on a sunny day
Strait of Hormuz closure threatens 40,000 t/month copper cathode flows to Gulf as Jebel Ali blocked, Khor Fakkan and Fujairah near capacity
Roughly 40,000 tonnes per month of copper cathode that once flowed smoothly into the United Arab Emirates (UAE) through Jebel Ali had few options to reroute after the Strait of Hormuz officially closed on Monday March 2, with the only alternative entry points — Khor Fakkan and Fujairah — already straining under the weight of diverted cargo, market sources told Fastmarkets.
March 5, 2026
 · 
By Julienne Raboca