Whether we agree with the rationale or not, the carbon footprint of everyday materials like steel and aluminum is becoming an increasingly important component of consumers’ purchasing decisions. In the US, some states — like California — have mandated purchasing departments for state projects to report the carbon footprint or CO2 content of the products […]
Stuart Burns
Rising aluminum physical delivery premiums — feature of a tight market
In a recent webinar MetalMiner ran for key clients, we posed a question regarding the recent rise of aluminum physical delivery premiums: what was behind rises and would they last? Physical delivery premiums are a significant cost to consumers. It can be a cost that is hard to hedge except for large consumers with access […]
Supply chains at risk as the world moves toward electrification
A recent Telegraph article suggests the West is sleepwalking into missing the next industrial revolution as China voraciously buys up raw material assets around the world. Those assets include securing its future supplies of cobalt, copper, lithium and other metals. The aforementioned comes in addition to its current domination of rare earth metals. The MetalMiner […]
Oil price shakes off relaxation of OPEC+ curbs
In a surprise move last week, OPEC+ announced a further gradual relaxation of the group’s 2020 emergency 9.7 million barrels per day cut in oil output, causing the oil price to briefly retreat. In December, OPEC+ had intended to ease the curb by about 500,000 barrels per day each month in 2021. However, in the […]
Strong Copper Demand, But Products See Shift
The copper market saw a near doubling in prices over the last year. Copper fell to an LME low in March 2020 of $4,371 per metric ton. Fast forward to this year, however, and it closed at $8,764 prior to this past weekend. But anyone following the copper market will know that even that price […]
China, Russia see Suez Canal blockage as an opportunity
The weeklong blockage of the Suez Canal — coming as it does on top of a year of escalating ocean freight rates for the Asia-European trade, port congestion in both regions and shipping delays — has inevitably prompted debate about alternatives. The MetalMiner Best Practice Library offers a wealth of knowledge and tips to help […]
Ever Given freed in Suez Canal, but ripple effect on trade will linger
As the days went by and the disruption from the blockage of the Suez Canal by the container vessel Ever Given increased, the implications became more and more severe. We’re offering timely emails with exclusive analyst commentary and some best practice advice. Sign up here. Not all of those 360 vessels backed up waiting for […]
UK’s Liberty Steel stares into the abyss
We have written before about Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance, sometimes as a result of its subsidiary Liberty Steel’s purchase of yet another (usually loss-making) steel asset. We have also covered its foray into alternative metals, such as GFG’s purchase of Rio Tinto’s aluminum smelter at Dunkirk in 2018. GFG has been admired by many for […]
Rising Midwest Premium reflects aluminum market tightness
The aluminum market is undeniably tight, as consumers are having to wait months for metal and the Midwest Premium rises. In some locations — Europe, in particular — consumers of rolled plate cannot secure new production space until well into Q3. Some mills have even pulled out of quoting for new business customers in 2021. […]
China’s aluminum industry under pressure to reduce emissions
China — and, indeed, Asia as a whole — has a serious issue evolving that few would have seen coming five years ago. Back then, the carbon content of aluminium was a well-known fact. However, its light weight and high recyclability seemed to outweigh the CO2 emissions inherent in its production. Not so now. China […]
