Fears of a trade war between the United States and China coupled with weaker pre-holiday demand led to prices for billet in Southeast Asia weakening over the past week, though those for slab appear to have been insulated from these factors as a result of thin trading.

Base metals prices are consolidating on the London Metal Exchange this morning, Wednesday March 29, with prices off an average of 0.2%. Nickel leads the decline with a 0.6% drop to $9,940 per tonne, the rest vary from lead prices being down 0.4%, to aluminium prices being up 0.1%. Three-month copper prices are off 0.3% at $5,872 per tonne.

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange are down across the board by an average of 0.6% this morning, Wednesday March 28. Losses are bunched together between 0.9% for lead and 0.3% for aluminium, with copper off by 0.7% at $6,613 per tonne.

Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange had dipped in recent days on the back of global growth concerns and after follow-through buying from last week waned, but the complex is broadly up again with average gains of 0.3% this morning, Wednesday January 23.

Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were for the most part little changed this morning, Thursday January 10. The exceptions were nickel that was up by 0.4% and lead that was up by 0.6%.

Metal Bulletin reviews the major stories that have affected the steel market over the past week.

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.

Base metals traded on the London Metal Exchange are mixed this morning, Tuesday March 6, with lead, zinc and tin prices down by an average of 0.5%, while copper, aluminium and nickel prices are up by an average of 0.3%.

Base metals traded on the London Metal Exchange are up across the board by an average of 0.4% this morning, Tuesday February 27.

The underlying theme remains unchanged with the base metals prices continuing to oscillate within sideways trends, although some prices, such as tin and zinc, are starting to edge higher.