Nickel prices and, as a result, stainless surcharges, remain in the doldrums this month, recovering only slightly from last month’s sharp sell-off. Sign up today for Gunpowder, MetalMiner’s free, biweekly e-newsletter featuring news, analysis and more. Nickel prices drop in March Nickel’s bull story took a hit at the beginning of March by announcements from […]
Stuart Burns
As electric vehicles continue to surge, cobalt prices also rise
The prospect of buying an electric vehicle (EV) may fill you with anxiety. That is, range anxiety, charging point anxiety, reliability anxiety and resale anxiety. The MetalMiner Best Practice Library offers a wealth of knowledge and tips to help buyers stay on top of metals markets and buying strategies. Sales rise despite electric vehicle anxieties […]
European steel producers clamor for early adoption of carbon border tax
Brussels must feel a little like the Dutch boy with his finger in the dike when it comes to emissions. No sooner do you create a solution to one problem – costing carbon dioxide emissions – than you create another – putting your domestic industries at a global disadvantage. The Financial Times reported on calls […]
Supply chain shortages: could one industry’s challenge be another’s solution?
Metal prices have been rising this year, in part because of a rapid recovery in consumer spending and manufacturing following last year’s lockdowns. China led the recovery, but the recoveries have strengthened in North America and, to a lesser extent, Europe. As vaccines have rolled out, particularly in the US, sentiment has improved. Consumers have […]
Oil prices show caution in the face of growing Indian, Japanese infection rates
Cautious production increases by OPEC+ and a strong business cycle upturn have encouraged bullish sentiment about downward pressure on oil inventories and upward pressure on the oil price in the second half of the year, Reuters columnist John Kemp reports in a recent post. Sign up today for Gunpowder, MetalMiner’s free, biweekly e-newsletter featuring news, […]
On Earth Day, a look at environmental targets and what needs to happen next
Today is Earth Day, whatever that means for you. For once, though, the politicians are not adding to greenhouse gas emissions by flying around the world first class or, worse, in private jets to talk shop. Rather, they are gathering virtually. Sign up today for Gunpowder, MetalMiner’s free, biweekly e-newsletter featuring news, analysis and more. […]
UK environmental policy sees emissions target move up by 15 years
Unfortunately for all those who passionately support efforts by people like David Attenborough to force the world to confront climate change – regardless of where you stand on the issue on what is admittedly quite a wide platform – recent reports suggest we are now in the land of political signaling in environmental policy rather […]
Zinc treatment charges tell us a similar story to copper
We wrote about the copper market and what smelter treatment charges are telling us about mine supply — and, hence, refined metal supply this year. Treatment and refining charges have collapsed. That is a sure sign that refiners are struggling to secure concentrate supply as mines’ recovery, largely due to COVID-19 effects, lags global industrial […]
Copper price eases, but for how long?
Copper bulls who were betting on continued price rises — or, more importantly, copper consumers worried about escalating copper costs — may be looking at the copper price and wondering what is going on. Prices hit over $9,600 per metric ton in late February but have since fallen back. Although experiencing volatility, the copper price […]
EAI Votes not to Support Carbon Tax Adjustment
Efforts to reduce Europe’s carbon footprint are many and varied, including in the European aluminum sector. Energy-intensive industrial processes like steel, aluminium and cement manufacturing make up a significant chunk of carbon emissions. A carbon tax as crafted in the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is seen as a major plank in shutting out […]
