One of U.S. President Donald Trump’s objectives when applying high import tariffs to steel, aluminum and, now, downstream products was to support domestic producers by making it economically more attractive to produce locally than to import. Improve metal purchase timing and mitigate price risk — trial MetalMiner’s monthly metal buying outlook An unexpected, or at […]
Stuart Burns
Questions abound amid allegations of shady goings-on in the nickel market
We all love conspiracy stories — who knew what and who was manipulating events behind the scenes? All the metals intelligence you need in one user-friendly platform with unlimited usage – Request a MetalMiner Insights platform demo A recent Telegraph article takes a more balanced approach to review goings-on at the London Metal Exchange (LME) […]
Copper buyers call force majeure amid China’s efforts to control coronavirus outbreak
It probably had to happen at some stage. As we wrote recently, it isn’t the coronavirus epidemic as much as the response to it that is causing a collapse in supply chains. Generate hard savings on your metal buys year-round; trial MetalMiner’s monthly outlook report The decision to shut down roads and quarantine cities across […]
Eskom’s monopoly on South African power production finally comes to an end
South Africa, the primary or major source of so many critical metals, is caught in a Catch-22 situation of its own making. Request a 30-minute demo of the MetalMiner Insights platform now. The mining industry is a major employer in South Africa and contributes some 7% of national GDP. The impact of mining goes beyond […]
Do falling commodity prices mean we are in bear territory?
Iron ore, coking coal, oil and the base metals have all taken a hit over recent weeks. Generate hard savings on your metal buys year-round; trial MetalMiner’s monthly outlook report In some part that’s due to a stronger dollar. To a larger degree, however, it’s due to fear that the steps being taken to contain […]
British Steel sale hits yet another bump in the road from French objections
In October last year, the British government thought it had found a savior for the loss-making British Steel that would in the process save some 5,000 jobs. Request a 30-minute demo of the MetalMiner Insights platform now. Chinese conglomerate Jingye Group agreed to buy British Steel in a £50 million rescue deal and promised a […]
Copper prices give up their gains as world monitors coronavirus impact
As my colleague, Fouad Egbaria reported earlier this week, copper prices have been on a slide. All the metals intelligence you need in one user-friendly platform with unlimited usage – Request a MetalMiner Insights platform demo Reuters also reported this week that copper on the LME traded down 0.1% at $5,634 a ton in official […]
Brexit happens at 11 p.m. GMT tonight … but what comes after?
Although the clocks will count down to 11 p.m. this evening to mark Brexit and Prime Minister Boris Johnson will pronounce “the dawn of a new era” for Britain, ending almost half a century of European Union membership, it will remain an issue of intense division within the U.K. with half the population feeling a […]
Aluminum price struggles to gain traction amid production restarts, ramp-ups
Analysts are finding it hard to get a handle on what lies ahead for 2020 aluminum prices. On the one hand, some well-respected sources, like Capital Economics, are suggesting in a recent report that prices will rise by year-end on the back of stronger demand, despite a return to production of temporarily shuttered production in […]
Coronavirus likely to impact steel, iron ore demand in 2020
Another victim of China’s coronavirus epidemic could well be the iron ore price. Iron ore had a stellar 2019, reaching a five-year high of $125 per ton in July on the back of Vale SA’s Brumadinho mining dam disaster and Cyclone Veronica, which struck Western Australia in March. Looking for metal price forecasting and data […]
