While the world looks on with growing concern at the political play unfolding in Afghanistan with the takeover of the Taliban, another sidebar to this developing story that is slowly creeping into public consciousness is the vast treasure-trove of minerals in that country, and how the Taliban government will exploit it. One estimate by the […]
Year: 2021
This Morning in Metals: Norsk Hydro to expand capacity at Sjunnen extrusion plant
This morning in metals news: Norsk Hydro plans to expand capacity at its Sjunnen aluminum extrusion plant; the Pilbara Ports Authority reported a decline in throughput in July; and, lastly, the United States International Trade Commission conducted a five-year sunset review on existing duty orders for carbon and alloy steel standard, line and pressure pipe […]
Steel capacity utilization ticks back up to 85.0%
U.S. steel capacity utilization picked back up to 85.0% for the week ending Aug. 21, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported. Receive the latest short-term and long-term outlook for the full range of industrial metals (base and ferrous) at the annual MetalMiner Forecasting Workshop on Aug. 25. Steel capacity rises U.S. steel capacity […]
The dark side of lithium-ion batteries
So far, it has been largely Samsung cell phones or laptops batteries that have caught the media’s attention when devices have caught fire, particularly in contained locations like aircraft or offices. But a spate of reports suggest the problem could also extend to cars, where the potential for serious consequences could be even greater — […]
ICSG: Copper mine production up 4.8% through May 2021
While copper mine supply concerns have cropped up of late — as MetalMiner’s Stuart Burns explained recently — output during the first five months of the year rose by 4.8%, the International Copper Study Group reported Friday. Receive the latest short-term and long-term outlook for the full range of industrial metals (base and ferrous) at […]
This Morning in Metals: Chinese steelmakers Ansteel, Ben Gang to merge
This morning in metals news: two Chinese steelmakers are merging to form the world’s third-largest steelmaker; the LME aluminum price lost some ground last week; and, lastly, July construction employment continued to lag in the U.S. The MetalMiner Best Practice Library offers a wealth of knowledge and tips to help buyers stay on top of […]
Week in Review: Shipping sector woes; oil prices fall; Toyota announces production cuts
Before we head into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the week that was and some of the metals storylines here on MetalMiner: Receive the latest short-term and long-term outlook for the full range of industrial metals (base and ferrous) at the annual MetalMiner Forecasting Workshop on Aug. 25. Week of Aug. 16-20 […]
This Morning in Metals: Toyota announces production cuts amid chip shortage
This morning in metals news: Toyota this week announced plans to slash production amid the ongoing global semiconductor shortage; unemployment rates fell in 17 states in July; and, lastly, U.S. large-scale battery storage capacity increased by 35% in 2020. Cut-to-length adders. Width and gauge adders. Coatings. Feel confident in knowing what you should be paying […]
Tin, from a technical and fundamental analysis, seems a one-way bet
MetalMiner’s new technical analyst Jimmy Chiguil recently spoke at a MetalMiner workshop, explaining how tin’s meteoric rise this year (up 68% since January), should power higher if it sustains its break above its previous peak of U.S. $33,600 per metric ton set way back in 2011. From a technical analyst perspective, previous peaks form natural […]
This Morning in Metals: SSAB touts world’s first ‘fossil-free’ steel
This morning in metals news: Sweden’s SSAB has hailed the delivery this week of its first shipment of fossil-free steel; copper prices have been sliding; and, lastly, electricity demand soared last week. The MetalMiner Best Practice Library offers a wealth of knowledge and tips to help buyers stay on top of metals markets and buying […]