Week-in-Review: Conflict Minerals, LME Moves and More Olympics

This week, a comprehensive analysis of Dodd-Frank conflict minerals compliance filings showed that while some companies are going the extra mile to insure tantalum, tin, tungsten and gold are NOT influenced by the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, some still have a long way to go.

Two-Month Trial: Metal Buying Outlook

Sadly, no Party City filing this year attesting to how conflict-free mylar party balloons are.

MetalMiner Olympic Construction Beat

The rushed and low-bid Olympic venues of Rio struck again this week as we all had to make sure to nut adjust the contrast on our sets when the games treated us to green water in indoor pools. Apparently they just ran out of pool-cleaning chemicals, not a high-up line-item in the Olympic punchlist, I’d imagine.

Just pretend it’s St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago. Rio visitors and athletes also got a visit from some ROUS’ (rodents of unusual size). Yes, they very much exist.

Metal Bulls

Our Metal Markets kept gaining this week as the Federal Reserve is still showing no stomach for interest rate increases and China’s stimulus keeps on stimulating. The London Metal Exchange is even breaking 30 years of tradition and introducing gold and silver contracts to get in on all of the precious fun.

Fresh off of slapping member-warehouse operator Metro International on the wrist, the LME is looking to expand its product mix and bring a greater return back to owner Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, Ltd.

Free Download: The August 2016 MMI Report

HKEX could use the help after this week.