It may be winter, but it feels like springtime for many in the metal industry and on metal prices in general. After years, China plans to ease up just a wee bit on its COVID-19 restrictions. This includes a reduction in the mandatory quarantine period, which has caused myriad problems for the country’s economy. As […]
Sohrab Darabshaw
Canada Prohibits Chinese Investments in Lithium, Nickel, and Cobalt Sectors
Canada has a new foreign investment rule that is sure to send ripples through the mineral and metal mining sector. Indeed, the country recently requested that China immediately sell its holdings in three Canadian mining companies. According to media reports, national security is the primary reason for the new order. Indeed, the decision followed a […]
Pressure Increases on the LME to Ban Russian Metal
According to the latest metal news, the London Metal Exchange (LME) is in a quandary over how to handle metal supply from “sanctioned” Russia. Their frustrations continue to be enhanced by the fact that some nations, led by China, remain interested in buying up Russian stock. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, formal and voluntary sanctions […]
The Robust US Dollar Puts a Damper on the Gold Price Trends in India
October to December is always an interesting quarter in India, especially regarding gold and silver prices and their associated demand. For several reasons, this October is proving to be a less-than-ideal month for gold dealers around the subcontinent. So far, the gold price trend continues to decline when compared to the previous months. India is […]
Iron Ore Demand Remains Strong, But Will It Last?
Concern over China’s economy notwithstanding, iron ore remained relatively stable in September and October. This is of note because historically, these months are one of China’s highest peak demand periods. That said, whether the iron ore price will continue to weather the economic storm remains a point of intense debate. The Many Factors Affecting the […]
Chinese Steel Manufacturing Profitability Down 20%
Is it all doom and gloom for Chinese steel manufacturing? It’s hard to tell at the moment. Indeed, China finds itself in a precarious place financially. What’s more, a sizable section of global financial and stock analysts have predicted the crises will only get worse as the country prepares to face its toughest winter yet. […]
ArcelorMittal Doubles Down on Indian Steel Manufacturing
ArcelorMittal appears quite bullish on India. In fact, the company recently announced its intention to double steel manufacturing at one of its primary plants. ArcelorMittal-Nippon Steel India Ltd. (AM/NS India) plans to spend US $5.1 billion at its Gujarat plant in western India. Betting on strong growth in domestic consumption, the company hopes to boost […]
Aluminum Supply Suffers From Industrial Shut-Downs
Thing may appear better in China than they are, at least as far as the country’s metals and minerals markets are concerned. However, China still remains the go-to destination for European steel and aluminum supply. Energy-sensitive European factories and aluminum smelters remain stranded due to the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war. Western Europe’s gas and electricity supplies […]
Metal Production, Copper Extraction, and the Upcoming Price Transformation
At the start of this year, Rio Tinto PLC and the Mongolian Government announced they had reached an historic agreement with copper and metal manufacturing. The announcement came after a long tussle over the $6.93 billion expansion project for the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mining project. Last week, Rio Tinto agreed to buy out Turquoise Hill […]
Chinese Stimuli and the Impact on Steel and Iron Ore Prices
A few days ago, China’s State Council announced more stimulus policies. The new measures included an additional 300 billion yuan ($44 billion) in quotas for infrastructure spending and investments by banks. This was in addition to the 300 billion yuan announced in June-end. However, looking at everything happening with steel and iron ore prices, the […]
