IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from November 27

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday November 27 that are worth another look.

Brazilian steelmaker Gerdau has agreed to buy 96.4% of Siderúrgica Latino-Americana (Silat) shares from Spanish group Hierros Añón for $110.8 million, in a shift from its divestment strategy of the past four years.

Shifting London Metal Exchange zinc and lead prices have dictated premiums this past week, overriding fundamental shortages from key suppliers.

Miner-trader Glencore suspended operations at its Mutanda copper-cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) early this week – a month earlier than previously expected.

The London Metal Exchange’s cash-settled alumina futures contract, which is settled against a basket of prices that includes Fastmarkets’ index, has seen a flurry of activity on the January 2020 prompt date.

Nickel premiums have fallen in the United States over the past week on a year-end push for sales while rates in China are mixed and those in Europe are flat.

What to read next
Market reactions to the soon-to-be-implemented US copper tariff are driving short-term volatility and supply imbalances while fuelling long-term efforts to expand domestic production, recycling and infrastructure.
US export controls on recycled copper would have unintended consequences that could weaken the country’s domestic recycling and manufacturing ecosystems, the president of the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) said.
The publication of Fastmarkets’ assessments for nickel 4x4 cathode, nickel briquette and nickel uncut cathode premiums in-whs Rotterdam was delayed on Tuesday July 16 because of a reporter error.
Fastmarkets has corrected its alumina index inferred prices, which were published incorrectly on Tuesday July 15.
The United States' copper recycling industry is ramping up pressure on policymakers to impose some form of export controls on high-purity copper scrap, arguing that current trade dynamics – particularly with China – are distorting prices, weakening domestic capacity and undermining national security goals.
Fastmarkets launched two new price assessments for Indonesia’s domestic trade in nickel ore on Tuesday July 15. The two price assessments are for domestic trades of Indonesian laterite ores with 1.6% and 1.2% nickel content. Indonesia now accounts for 60% of the global nickel supplies and while there is an official government reference price, known […]