Workers at Tata Steel’s plant at IJmuiden in the Netherlands staged a lightning protest on May 26, but output was unaffected, the company said.
Japanese steel producers which use electric-arc furnaces (EAFs) are being forced into raising their purchasing prices for ferrous scrap feedstock despite there being no upward movement in their steel sales prices, sources in Japan have told Fastmarkets.
The International Copper Study Group (ICSG) has cut its 2020 global mined copper forecast by 950,000 tonnes, equivalent to nearly 4 million tonnes of copper concentrates output, citing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Several market participants have reported that sentiment has improved in the cobalt market, but the metal’s price continued to edge downward on May 26, showing that this has yet to put the brakes on the slide in spot prices.
South Africa will further ease nationwide restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of Covid-19 from June 1, allowing the vast majority of the economy to return to production, according to a public address by the country’s president on Sunday May 24.