The Metal Bulletin news team preview base metals in 2017

Metal Bulletin's price reporters look forward to the major issues and industry trends that face the base metals industry in 2017.

Below are a number of recently published pieces by Metal Bulletin looking forward to the major issues and industry trends that face the base metals industry in 2017. Their regular news and opinions pieces are usually published on the FastMarkets Professional platform as part of our base metals news service. The below news stories are all available on the FastMarkets.com website.

To see our complete news coverage, please click her to take a free trial of FastMarkets Professional. 2017 Metals Preview

Will zinc win popularity contest again or lose to nickel next year?
by Perrine Faye

LME to benefit from volatility surge in ‘structural shift’
By Kathleen Retourne

Japanese aluminium buyers will increase spot exposure in supply contracts
By Ian Walker

Physical trading platforms a new pricing battlefield in China
by Kiki Kang

Copper market preference wavers between benchmark and spot
by Kiki Kang

LME copper longs may tire in Q1; shorting seen as risky
By Kathleen Retourne

Can commodities benefit from China’s real estate curbs?
By Andrea Hotter

Indonesia, Philippines supply issues take centre stage in nickel
by Vivian Teo

Ali premiums could spike again on dwindling availability in Europe
By Jethro Wookey

Zhuzhou makes good on production cuts as Chinese zinc smelters feel the pinch
By Archie Hunter

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What to read next
Half a million tonnes of copper is sitting in US warehouses, and the traders who put it there are starting to wonder whether they’ve built a hedge, or a trap.
European automotive procurement faces growing complexity due to regional cost volatility and policy-driven supply chains reshaping material pricing and sourcing strategies. This demands granular, region-specific market intelligence for precise cost modeling and strategic decision-making.
The assessment, which currently follows the UK holiday calendar, will follow the Singapore holiday calendar after the proposed change. There will be no change to the publication timing, and the assessment will continue to be published weekly on Wednesdays, at 7pm Singapore time. The purpose of the adjustment is to align the timing to the […]
JX Advanced Metals, Mitsui Kinzoku, Marubeni and Mitsubishi Materials(MMC) inked a deal to integrate MMC's copper concentrate procurement and related products sales business into Pan Pacific Copper (PPC), marking a significant consolidation of Japan's copper concentrate purchasing sector amid persistent pressure from weak treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs).
The publication of Fastmarkets’ assessments of the nickel min 99.8% full plate premium, in-whs Shanghai, and the nickel min 99.8% full plate premium, cif Shanghai for Tuesday May 26 were delayed because of a reporter error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated. The following prices were affected:MB-NI-0143 Nickel min 99.8% full plate premium, in-whs Shanghai, […]
Copper producers, including Atlas Mining, reported higher earnings in the first quarter of 2026 on the back of elevated copper prices, while concentrate output declined at several operations in Chile, Brazil, Colombia and the Philippines due to lower ore grades and disruptions, according to company results reviewed by Fastmarkets.