Good morning from Fastmarkets MB’s offices in Asia as we bring you the latest news and pricing stories on Friday December 28.

Editor Vera Blei looks at the main news covered by Steel First over the past week.

Steel billet prices increased in most global regions last week, following consecutive rises in the Chinese billet market and better demand in some importing countries.

Steel billet prices dropped in almost all markets last week, affected by falling finished steel prices in China and continued weak buying activity due to the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Metal Bulletin’s daily index for Northern Europe-origin HMS 1&2 (80:20) delivered to Turkey dropped day-on-day by $6.89 on Wednesday September 24 on a deal clinched at a lower price.

Man of Steel is the nom de plume of an experienced steel trader, who will be writing a column for Metal Bulletin on a regular basis. Do you agree with him? Email editorial@metalbulletin.com Trading company ceos around the world are worried as they consider their activities and the outlook as they prepare their second-quarter (or second-half) results.

Billet prices have dropped over the past week in most regional markets, in tandem with softening ferrous scrap prices and weaker steel demand in China.

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Friday February 8 that are worth another look.

Krakatau Steel, Indonesia’s biggest steelmaker, has posted an operating loss of $70.44 million for the whole of 2014 on the back of lower steel prices and shipments, as well as the depreciation in the rupiah.

The steel scrap sector in the United States still depends on exports to Turkey, a member of the Fastmarkets research team said during the ferrous session at the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) conference in London last weekend.