Good morning from Metal Bulletin’s offices in Asia, bringing the key news and market stories on Tuesday December 26.

The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Wednesday May 2.

Global scrap prices weakened in most markets except Taiwan during the working week from Monday July 9 to Friday July 13, amid sluggish demand in the major regions.

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange are consolidating this morning, Wednesday November 29, with prices ranged between down 0.2% for tin and zinc and up 0.3% for copper, which is at $6,827 per tonne. Volume has been lower than of late with 7,660 lots traded as of 07.02am London time.

A report on the massive scale of Asian futures trading volumes shows that the London Metal Exchange must do everything it can to draw in Chinese retail investors and hedge funds. So shouldn't it open its monthly contracts to them?

Japan’s JFE Steel has once again denied it has made any final decision to invest in Formosa Ha Tinh Steel, a major integrated steel mill that is being built in Vietnam by Taiwan’s Formosa Plastics Group (FPG).

International billet prices have been rapidly dropping over the past week as sellers and buyers from several regions tried to adjust to the effects of a weaker ferrous scrap import market in Turkey.

Imports of bar products into Iran fell by 45% in the first nine months of the Iranian year, from March 20 to December 20, 2012.

Canada has established surtax-free quotas for imports of energy tubular products and wire rods originating in Mexico, effective from February 2, according to an official from Canada’s Ministry of Finance.

The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Tuesday March 27.