China has previously been cast in a sinister role with respect to restricting the production and export of critical rare earth metals, usually salts, used to produce a host of products. Those products include magnets for consumers electronics and electric cars, defense equipment and advanced ceramics. But while the country deliberately created a near monopoly […]
Stuart Burns
Energy crisis in China hits more than just metals output
Much is being made of Beijing’s efforts to meet its environmental emissions targets — the country states it will hit peak emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060 — and its restricted steel and aluminium production. But a recent Reuters post by John Kemp suggests output is being impacted more by a widening electricity […]
Nuclear to power Poland’s copper production
Europe’s drive to reduce carbon emissions is taking many forms, from government support for R&D to investment in electric vehicle (EV) charging structures, hydrogen fuel technology and infrastructure, to name just a few. So much for the carrots. On the stick side, the E.U. has a carbon emissions trading scheme that grants credits to major […]
Aluminum prices are being driven high by constrained supply rather than rampant demand
Consumers have looked aghast at rising aluminum prices this year and wondered how much longer it can continue. The explanation that global economies are bouncing back from pandemic lockdowns has encouraged many to hope that once supply chains are restocked, demand will ease and aluminum prices will fall. But several sources are suggesting the tightness […]
Evergrande crisis — and China’s property market in general — could have significant impact on metals prices
Anyone following the financial papers cannot have failed to read lurid reports regarding China’s Evergrande construction company, which appears on the brink of collapse. Volatility is the name of the game. Do you have a steel buying strategy that can handle the ups and downs? Chinese markets fall on Evergrande crisis Indeed, stock markets in […]
Record natural gas, resulting power prices cause alarm in Europe’s steel industry
Reports in the media that natural gas prices in the U.K. have more than quadrupled over the last year to highs of 180p per therm from around 40p per therm this time last year are making headlines. This is largely because of the impact on small, startup gas suppliers who have been forced out of […]
Chinese aluminum could be let off the hook of European anti-dumping measures
It is a curious insight into E.U. thinking when there is a clear case for anti-dumping duties only for them to be rowed back at the 11th hour after complaints from just two aluminum users and one importer. Do you know the five best practices of sourcing metals, including aluminum? Chinese aluminum and European anti-dumping […]
Oak Flat copper mine project in Arizona stalled amid tribal, public opposition
A deal is not a deal until it is done, goes the old adage. Mining projects are notorious for falling afoul due to presuming agreed terms will be played out as expected. The Financial Times reports on the conundrum BHP and Rio Tinto face in developing the Oak Flat copper ore body in Arizona. Stay […]
Commodity exchange-traded funds see large net inflows this year
Exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, are sometimes punted as an alternative to direct investments on metals exchanges, like the LME or CME. But in reality, it is a different kind of investor who buys ETFs, even if they are largely buying into the same metal story. Stay up to date on MetalMiner with weekly updates – […]
Solid stainless production drives nickel price
When Chinese steel group Tsingshan announced its Indonesian nickel operations would supply matte — a form of the metal used only for stainless steel production — to battery makers back in February, the news undercut the narrative that only refined nickel would be sufficiently high grade for the electric vehicle sector. The price proceeded to […]
