Ferro-alloys prices have generally retreated over the past month, with demand concerns gaining in prominence.

Italian long steel producer Feralpi Group has announced the closure of one of its mills, starting from March 16, due to the outbreak of 2019-nCoV coronavirus, the company told Fastmarkets on Friday March 13.

Turkish producers continued to book scrap cargoes despite weakening steel demand in the country, while Asian markets registered modest gains over the working week ended Friday May 15.

The enlargement of the quarantine zone in Italy to a nationwide reach has already started to affect steel output, with at least two long steel mills announcing production stoppages, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday March 11.

Mills in Bangladesh purchased three bulk cargoes in the last week, with prices easing gently, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday January 14.

South African manganese alloys producer Transalloys has declared force majeure after a fire at its plant in the country on August 22 that severely impacted the raw material handling system feeding its five furnaces, it was revealed over the weekend.

Crude steel production in Germany was down by 24.70% year on year in July due to capacity being cut to balance the drop in demand caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, German steel federation WV Stahl said on Monday August 24.

Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday June 9 that are worth another look.

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Suppliers are offering wider discounts in early negotiations for long-term ferro-vanadium contracts for 2020 compared with this year, according to market sources.