IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from September 19

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday September 19 that are worth another look.

Ramp-ups in Chinese nickel pig iron (NPI) production will not inhibit the use of traditional ferro-nickel in European stainless steel production, multinational miner Anglo American’s head of business intelligence told Fastmarkets at the International Stainless and Special Steel Summit in Seville, Spain, on Tuesday September 17.

Domestic price sentiment for hot-dipped galvanized coil (HDG) in Europe has continued to be negative in the week ended September 19 due to slow market activity, sources have told Fastmarkets.

The China Smelters Purchase Team (CSPT), which comprises the largest copper smelters in the East Asian country, is set to accept two new members – Zhejiang Jiantong Fuye Heding and Huludao Zinc’s copper subsidiary – sources directly involved have told Fastmarkets.

Weak demand and good availability of cargoes continue to put pressure on global alumina prices toward the end of the third quarter of 2019, with prices on a downward spiral over the past four months.

Expectations of stockpiling activity ahead of the Chinese National Day holiday (October 1-7) have boosted sentiment among suppliers, leading to higher spot quotations for battery raw materials, including cobalt sulfate and tetroxide.

What to read next
The amendment follows the decision made on May 14, after a consultation period for the proposed changes which took place between April 3 and May 11. The changes were first proposed in a pricing note published on April 3.  The purpose of the changes is to align the publication times to the activity in the […]
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.