Steel imports are poised to halt a five-month slide and jump 10.7% from September to October thanks to gains in line pipe, hot-dipped galvanized products and hot-rolled coil.

Good morning from Metal Bulletin’s office in Singapore as we bring you the latest news and pricing stories on Tuesday April 3.

Following market consultation, Steel First has decided to discontinue its three Ukrainian domestic price assessments – for rebar, hot rolled coil and cold rolled coil.

Prices for steel billet rose again in most global locations this week, amid a new round of increases in the costs of raw materials, but market participants reported weak buying activity and fears that prices could be close to a peak.

The Brazilian long steel market continues to wait for the seasonal rebound in the local construction industry - unlike flat steel, which has seen recovering demand from the automotive and white goods sectors.

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange are up by an average of 0.5% this morning, Wednesday September 20. Most metals are in positive territory, with three-month copper prices up by 0.5% at $6,563 per tonne, although zinc prices, down by 0.2%, are bucking the uptrend. Volume has been below average with 4,335 lots traded as of 06:31 BST.

Investment in rail infrastructure and a reduction in bureaucracy are required to provide a platform for growth in Turkish steel exports, according to Aysen Ustunay, export manager at MMK Metalurji.

Scrap prices in the global market have mostly been stable during the working week from Monday August 21 to Friday August 25, as the Turkish market approached a holiday period and other major markets were showing weak demand.

China’s daily crude steel output rebounded in early April amid a recovery in domestic steel prices.

Japanese imported flat rolled steel stockpiles rose by 8.2% at the end of June, marking the first rise in three months.