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

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Chinese domestic price for silico-manganese has drifted downward significantly in recent assessments because some alloy smelters reduced their offer prices to attract buying interest and generate cash amid the sluggish demand circumstances created by the outbreak of the 2019-nCoV coronavirus, market participants have told Fastmarkets.

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.

Metal Bulletin reviews some of the key news and price moves from the past week in the global steel market.

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.

Changes in tax rebates for chromium-containing alloyed steel exports would be more important than the recently-announced cuts in export duties for boron-containing steel, traders in Asia told Metal Bulletin this week.