IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from October 17

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday October 17 that are worth another look.

Alcoa has launched a multi-year review of its aluminium portfolio, placing roughly half of its global smelting capacity under scrutiny for potential curtailment or closure, the company said in an earnings call with investors on Wednesday October 16.

Stronger demand from the energy sector and additional government spending on infrastructure will provide a boost to steel plate prices in Asia next year, a source close to a leading Japanese steelmaker told Fastmarkets this week.

China’s top copper smelters have agreed to raise the price floor for fourth-quarter treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) by 20% from the prior quarter, sources familiar with the matter told Fastmarkets on October 17.

The nickel 4×4 cathode premium in the Dutch port of Rotterdam softened on Tuesday October 15, while other rates around the world were steady.

South32 increased manganese ore production by 10% quarter on quarter in the three months to September 30, the miner announced on October 17.

What to read next
Brazil's aluminium industry is further enhancing its sustainability by boosting renewable energy use and recycling, while mitigating risk from high-carbon imports
German copper producer Aurubis is among the least likely to consider reducing capacity despite record low treatment charges (TCs), according to its chief executive officer
European copper demand, particularly for wire rod, remains strong and seems to be outpacing broader macro-economic growth in the region, the chief executive officer of German producer Aurubis has said.
The process to place the smaller and less efficient of the two processing plants at Los Bronces on care and maintenance is expected to be completed by mid-2024 and comes as the company pushes value over volume, the chief executive officer of Anglo American Chile said
The near-term prospects for Chinese copper smelting capacity amid near-zero treatment charges (TCs) will, to a certain extent, depend on plants’ exposure to spot TCs, the chief executive officer of Rio Tinto’s copper division said on Tuesday, April 16
It will be very difficult for many Chinese copper smelters to compete with treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) at record lows, according to the chairman of Chile’s state-owned copper producer Codelco