Week in Review: Organic molecules and machinability; gold prices; allocation market for steel

Week of Dec. 14-18 (machinability, gold prices and steel allocation market)

• Stuart Burns delved into the gold price and what 2021 may hold for the precious metal.
• The Energy Information Administration released its Short-Term Energy Outlook.
• Nippon Steel is increasing emphasis on export markets.
• The shipping industry continues to face a number of challenges this year, from container shortages to port congestion.
• The European Raw Materials Alliance recently launched the Rare Earth Magnets and Motors Cluster, aimed at developing solutions to strengthen supply chains.
• Earlier this month, MetalMiner released the December update to its Annual Outlook originally published in September.
• This month’s Global Precious MMI includes gold prices, the weakening dollar and PGM price movements.
• Elsewhere, the U.S.’s share of power generation from renewables is forecast to rise slightly next year.
• Rio Tinto announced a $10 million investment toward its joint research with Chinese steelmaking behemoth Baowu Steel Group on greener steelmaking processes.
• Burns checked in on the Brexit saga, as the Dec. 31 transitional period deadline draws near.
• We touched earlier on Nippon Steel’s efforts to augment exports. Meanwhile, Christopher Rivituso on Severstal’s intention to look to export more large-diameter pipe to the North American market.
• Meanwhile, import prices rose slightly in November.
• “A” is for allocation in steel markets, Lisa Reisman explained.
• Lastly, a research team from Purdue University, Osaka University and the Indian Institute of Science published findings on the impact of organic molecules on machinability of metals.

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