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.

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

Chinese steelmakers’ narrowing margins and improvements in the supply of Brazilian iron ore have resulted in lower penalties for alumina content in the steelmaking raw material recently, though there are factors that could raise buyers’ sensitivity toward this impurity in the coming months.

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Monday May 6 that are worth another look.

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.

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.

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.

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

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Friday March 15 that are worth another look.