Get started

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from October 30

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday October 30 that are worth another look.

October 31, 2019
By Generic people page
Base metals Copper

The GFG Alliance will consolidate all of its steel businesses into one global group named Liberty Steel Group by the end of this year and align them with a strategy for carbon-neutral operations by 2030.

Japanese copper producer Pan Pacific Copper (PPC) has offered its Chinese customers copper cathode supply in 2020 at a premium of $83 per tonne cif Shanghai, $3 per tonne lower than 2019’s level, two sources familiar with the matter told Fastmarkets on Wednesday October 30.

South Africa’s manganese ore exports hit record levels of over 1.8 million tonnes in September and October 2019, shipping data shows.

The world’s third biggest zinc mine, Antamina, is set to challenge for the top production spot next year.

China’s imports of cobalt intermediates, including cobalt hydroxide, surged by 24.5% in July-September versus the prior quarter amid extensive procurement from Chinese consumers, who looked to take advantage of falling cobalt raw material prices during the period.

What to read next
Copper coils up close
How Gulf port disruptions impact global base metal exports
Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Port of Sohar in Oman are becoming tactical workarounds for base metal exports blocked by the Strait of Hormuz closure, with cargo transiting via land-bridge to other Gulf states, such as Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates – though capacity constraints and elevated logistics costs limit availability, sources with direct visibility of Gulf supply chains told Fastmarkets.
March 13, 2026
 · 
By Viral Shah
Aluminum ingots
Middle East conflict might create supply constraints, raise in aluminium premiums in Mexico
The Mexican aluminium market might be strongly affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with supply constraints and consequently higher premiums, market participants told Fastmarkets on Tuesday March 10.
March 12, 2026
 · 
By Leticia Simionato
Copper cathode
Lundin, BHP’s Vicuña project targets 395,000 tpy of copper concentrate from Argentina
Lundin Mining and BHP published a preliminary economic assessment on February 16 for their Vicuña joint venture, projecting average annual copper production of 395,000 tonnes over the first 25 years of operation as Argentina’s copper concentrate pipeline continues to build. PSJ Cobre Mendocino separately confirmed on February 14 that its feasibility study was under way.
March 10, 2026
 · 
By Julienne Raboca
Architecture, Building, Cityscape
Chinese lead smelters cautious on concentrates purchases amid silver price volatility
Chinese lead smelters turned more bearish on the procurement of raw materials in the week to Friday February 13, amid heightened price volatility in silver, which is often contained in lead ores as an important by-product and contributor to smelter profits, sources told Fastmarkets.
March 10, 2026
 · 
By Shiyue Zhao
A shipping tanker sailing through the Straight of Hormuz on a sunny day
Strait of Hormuz closure threatens 40,000 t/month copper cathode flows to Gulf as Jebel Ali blocked, Khor Fakkan and Fujairah near capacity
Roughly 40,000 tonnes per month of copper cathode that once flowed smoothly into the United Arab Emirates (UAE) through Jebel Ali had few options to reroute after the Strait of Hormuz officially closed on Monday March 2, with the only alternative entry points — Khor Fakkan and Fujairah — already straining under the weight of diverted cargo, market sources told Fastmarkets.
March 5, 2026
 · 
By Julienne Raboca
Mining, Boat, Transportation
Forging uncertainty: How miners can turn market turbulence into strategic advantage
Navigating market volatility with data-driven strategies for resilient mining operations
March 3, 2026