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

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday May 16 that are worth another look.

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were predominantly higher at the close of trading on Thursday May 16, with trade uncertainties broadly priced in while a stronger dollar tempered commodity buying during afternoon trading.

Metals trader Glencore has reshuffled its cobalt team, with David Brocas leading the company’s cobalt trading since Franck Schulders has gone on sabbatical.

Merger and acquisition activity in the lithium supply chain has caught the attention of investors, causing share prices to jump for new and upcoming projects. Meanwhile, traditional producers have struggled with low product sales prices and an oversupplied market.

The Federal Court in Belém, Brazil, lifted a production embargo on Norsk Hydro’s Alunorte alumina refinery under a civil lawsuit on May 15.

Demand for stainless steel in China’s domestic market was steady over the past week, but trade tensions between the country and the United States are starting to show signs of weighing on prices.

What to read next
Information came to light that mill buying offers had been adjusted for July following Fastmarkets’ settlement of these prices on that date, leading to an incorrect published assessment for the following grades: MB-STE-0789 Steel scrap No1 heavy melting, consumer buying price, fob Montreal, Canadian $/net ton was previously published at C$245 ($179.41) per net ton, a C$10 […]
Mexico’s production and consumption of long steel fell year-on-year in May due to weakness in the country's construction sector, but posted a month on month gain, according to the latest data from the Mexican steel chamber, CANACERO.
This price is a part of the Fastmarkets scrap package. For more information on our North America Ferrous Scrap methodology and specifications please click here. To get in touch about access to this price assessment, please contact customer.success@fastmarkets.com.
Fastmarkets has corrected the rationale for its MB-CO-0021 cobalt hydroxide payable indicator, min 30% Co, cif China, % payable of Fastmarkets’ standard-grade cobalt price (low-end), which was published incorrectly on Wednesday July 2 due to a reporter error.
The prices are: The changes were made in order to ensure that the liquidity and price volatility in these markets is adequately captured. The changes were welcomed by market participants seeking more granular coverage and increased transparency. In the UK, the decline of domestic steelmaking means the scrap market is dominated by exports. Exporters told Fastmarkets that […]
Tariff concerns and opaque import regulations dominated discussions among aluminium and copper scrap market participants at the 2025 ASEAN Recycling Metals International Conference held in Thailand on June 18-20.