Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were for the most part still consolidating the gains seen at the end of last week, following weakness on Monday January 28, an up day on Tuesday, and now awaiting further direction.

For the last couple of years it’s been all about the raw materials. First iron ore miners were looking for record increases at annual benchmark negotiations, then coking coal producers pitched for the same.

Better Chinese manufacturing data has surprised the market and boosted three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange by an average of 1% this morning, Monday April 1.

Global steel billet prices continued to rise in most markets in the week to Friday December 15 as customers continued to show interest in importing material.

Jittery stock markets and ongoing disappointment over United States/China trade developments continued to put either a cap on the base metals – the exception being tin that broke higher at the start of this week – or keep them under pressure, in the likes of nickel and aluminium.

Timeline of global tax changes proposed or passed in 2011, affecting metals and mining companies:

Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mixed on the morning of Tuesday July 24; while copper prices were up by 0.4% at $6,154 per tonne, aluminium and tin prices were down by 0.4% and the rest were little changed.

Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange exhibited mixed movements while consolidating this morning, Thursday January 17. Copper, nickel, lead and zinc were down by between 0.1% and 0.5%, while aluminium and tin prices were up by 0.3% and 0.4% respectively.

The London Metal Exchange three-month base metals prices ran into follow-through selling on the morning of Monday March 25 following the weak economic data points released at the end of last week.

Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were little changed to weaker on the morning of Tuesday May 22, with prices down by an average of 0.3%.