IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from May 26

Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday May 26 that are worth another look.

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.

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The proposal follows Fastmarkets’ observations that the commodity sees inactive spot liquidity and low volatility in prices. The proposed new specifications for the prices are as follows, with the amendments in italics: MB-NI-0246 Nickel sulfate, cif Japan and Korea, $/tonneQuality: Accepted by buyer for use in battery applications with chemical composition: Ni content, base 22.3% […]
Based on preliminary market feedback, market participants noted that smaller-sized spot market transactions may be skewed and not reflective of the wider market. The aluminium P1020A(MJP), cif Japan, assessment specification which has a minimum tonnage of 100 tonnes will be amended to 500 tonnes after the proposed change. The proposed new specifications are as follows, […]
Fastmarkets consulted the market on the proposed change between April 3 and May 11, 2026. Some feedback was received regarding the publication times of nickel pig iron and laterite ore prices. Fastmarkets will adjust the initially proposed publication times accordingly and proceed with the changes. This decision was first proposed in a methodology note published […]
The price assessments were not affected by the incorrect publication and the correct prices are showing on Dashboard. The price was published at 12.33pm London time instead of the scheduled time of 3-4pm. The following prices were published early:MB-CU-0405 Copper grade A cathode premium, in-whs Shanghai, $ per tonneMB-CU-0383 Copper grade A cathode ER premium, bonded in-whs […]
On Wednesday May 6, a critical minerals panel at Commodities Trading Week in London said metals markets are shifting from an energy transition-led narrative toward security of supply, leaving Europe particularly exposed because of its reliance on imports.
The Canadian government announced on Tuesday May 4 a new financing program worth C$1.5 billion ($1.1 billion) to help mitigate the effect of US metals tariffs and support several of Canada’s tariffed industries.