IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from May 6

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Monday May 6 that are worth another look.

With LME Asia Week now in full swing, Fastmarkets MB takes an in-depth look at one of the topics likely to dominate discussions at this year’s event: How will aluminium premiums in Japan and South Korea likely fare for the rest of the year?

Nearly 1,500 delegates will descend upon Singapore this week to attend the seventh edition of Singapore Exchange’s (SGX) annual Singapore Iron Ore Week.
Much of the conversation at last year’s event revolved around the need for suitable risk mitigation tools in the iron ore market amid wide and volatile grade differentials due to the Chinese government’s environmental protection policy and robust mills’ margins.

Ferrous scrap will be the “next big thing” for commodity-based derivatives in Asia, according to the Singapore Exchange. It is one key commodity that the SGX is looking at to expand its slew of ferrous derivatives under the “virtual steel mill” concept, in addition to the iron ore and coking coal contracts that are already trading well on its platform, the exchange’s head of commodities, William Chin, told Fastmarkets MB.

Copper stocks in Shanghai-bonded warehouses rose slightly in April compared with March, while muted trading activity last month pushed the bonded warrant premium for the red metal to a 13-month low.

Russian billet and rebar producer Abinsk Electic Steel Works (Abinsk) has entered into a definitive agreement with compatriot Severstal to buy its long-products mini-mill in Balakovo in the Volga federal district. The transaction, worth $215 million, is expected to be completed by the end of June, following the receipt of approvals and other standard conditions.

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China's planned sulfuric acid export ban from May 1, historic lows for copper concentrates treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) and a fragmenting 2026 benchmark system dominated CESCO Week 2026 in Santiago from April 13-17.
The proposal would align the index more closely with physically traded volumes in the region, and enable it to adjust to evolving market conditions. This proposal follows an observed widening of the spread between trader and smelter purchase components of the index and is aligned with a majority of market feedback. Additionally, Fastmarkets seeks feedback […]
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.
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.
Fastmarkets is extending the consultation period for the methodology of several of its black mass payables indicators and prices, and is also proposing changes to the names of CIF South Korea and EWX Europe black mass prices.