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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from March 23

Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday March 23 that are worth another look.

March 24, 2020
By Generic people page
Base metals Copper

ArcelorMittal is idling two blast furnaces, in Indiana and Canada, due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and its impact on end markets.

South Africa will enter a 21-day nationwide lockdown from midnight on Thursday March 26 and ordered the country’s metals and mining operations to be placed on care and maintenance.

The copper price is coming off its worst week in almost a decade, but analysts feel there could be more downside for the metal as novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) lockdowns globally wreck demand prospects.

Argentina’s lithium brine industry have announced that they will suspend their on-site project works until the end of March after the Argentinian government imposed a nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the country.

The spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outside China has brought with it logistical restrictions, a reconsideration of raw material requirements and concerns over possible disruptions to supply in the coming weeks

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April 30, 2026
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Copper smelter close up
Kamoa-Kakula Q1 copper concentrate output falls 54% year on year, Ivanhoe weighs third-party purchases
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April 20, 2026
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April 17, 2026
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Fastmarkets proposes changes to Asia copper concentrates index weighting, seeks feedback on normalization of gold and silver
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April 8, 2026
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By Fastmarkets pricing team
Steel
Aluminium’s challenge now beyond moving the metal | Hotter Commodities
Until now, aluminium has been hard to move, not hard to find. Global aluminium supply had remained technically intact, even as output was curtailed in parts of the Gulf, inventory buffers were drawn down or repositioned, and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was severely disrupted.
April 2, 2026
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Water, Waterfront, Port
Aluminium in energy crossfire as Hormuz uncertainty drags on
Global aluminium producers face heightened uncertainty over power supplies, with oil and gas prices elevated by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) flows, sources told Fastmarkets.
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