IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from March 31

Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday March 31 that are worth another look.

The Spanish steel industry has demanded clarification from the government following a March 29 decree to shut down all non-essential production as part of the battle to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, Fastmarkets heard on March 31.

The closure of borders and reduced port operations across African countries have led to month-long delays of copper cargoes, while suppliers have raced to re-route goods over the past week.

Australia-listed OM Holdings has submitted a plan to the country’s Northern Territory authorities to mitigate the potential impact of transport restrictions implemented to combat the spread of Covid-19.

Tungsten miner W Resources will temporarily shut its mining operations at La Parilla until April 9 after Spain declared a state of emergency and further tightened the national lockdown to slow the spread of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

The spread of the Covid-19 virus is causing disruption to immediate supply chains and future demand forecasts across the technology and consumer electronics sector.

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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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