Iron ore prices are weakening fast, with offer at $100 per tonne for 63.5% Fe content now failing to find buyers as high inventories and falling Chinese steel prices damage sentiment.

European long steel buyers were quiet throughout December on uncertainties arising from the United States' various trade wars, but a European Commission quota proposal in January has offered some hope of more certainty to sellers.

A sharp increase in Turkish scrap import values pushed up scrap prices in the major markets during the working week from Monday July 24 to Friday July 28.

Expectations have increased for China’s coke prices to bounce up, although some export deals were reported at lower levels in the past week.

What stories and events passed over the screen of Metal Bulletin editor Alex Harrison in the past week?

Following a lackluster start to the trading week, the three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mostly stronger on the morning of Tuesday August 7 amid bouts of bargain hunting, with the complex up by an average of 0.3%.

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange are stronger by an average of 0.7% this morning, Monday July 17, with zinc prices leading the way with a 1.6% gain to $2,834.50 per tonne, while three-month copper prices are up 0.9% at $5,980 per tonne.

During the past couple of years, US steelmakers, especially on the carbon flat-rolled side, have been consistently reporting better margins, albeit after a horrendous 2015 when falling demand was exacerbated by high import volumes.

The base metals remain in a buoyant mood, as dollar weakness has supported follow-through buying after the minutes of the July US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting showed growing division among policy setters over the path of interest rates given the lack of inflationary pressures.

The three-month base metals prices traded on the London Metal Exchange were mixed and little changed on the morning of Tuesday February 19.