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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from September 26

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday September 26 that are worth another look.

September 27, 2019
By Generic people page
Base metals Copper

Traded volumes and open interest have remained high for the CME’s aluminium premiums futures contracts even after spot market volatility eased this year, Sean Kessler, manager of metals products at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange said on Wednesday September 25.

China’s domestic stainless steel prices rose late last week on costlier nickel, and maintained those gains over the first three days of this week.

The global refined copper market was in a deficit of 220,000 tonnes in the first half of 2019, up from a deficit of 177,000 tonnes in the same period in 2018, the International Copper Study Group (ICSG) said this week.

Mining and metallurgical group OM Holdings has warned that third-quarter manganese ore production at its Bootu Creek mine in Australia’s Northern Territory will drop by 103,000 tonnes following a fatality in August.

Current seaborne market conditions have prompted Vale to cut its iron ore pellet production guidance for 2019 to 43 million tonnes from 45 million tonnes previously, the Brazilian mining company said on September 26.

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