The Automotive MMI (Monthly MetalMiner Index) traded sideways for the second month in a row, rising by just 2.65%. The automotive index was impacted heavily by China rescinding zero-COVID restrictions, which caused a spike in cases. However, Chinese-sourced lead and HDG steel prices rose significantly, pulling the index upward. The overall volatility in metals used […]
Category: Commodities
Raw Steels MMI: U.S. Steel Prices Find Bottom, Begin Rising
U.S. steel prices hit a bottom at the beginning of December, then began to climb. Hot rolled coil prices rose over 8% from their December low. Meanwhile, plate prices traded down for the first time since September. Overall, the Raw Steels Monthly Metals Index (MMI) rose by 7.98% from December to January. MetalMiner’s free weekly […]
Aluminum MMI: Aluminum Prices Slide From Early-December Peak
Despite the recent short-term bounce, aluminum prices have not quite reversed to the upside following their long decline from March 2022. Ultimately, the rally between November and December was not strong enough to indicate a reversal. Moreover, bearish pressure continues to dominate the market environment at this time. Instead, prices remain largely indecisive. However, the […]
NLMK La Louvière, a Belgian producer of hot-rolled coils (HRC), to recommence production
In steel news, Russian-Belgian strip producer NLMK La Louvière aims to restart rolling operations. A source close to the plant told MetalMiner that the current goal for the restart is the end of January. The announcement comes just weeks after a fire knocked the facility off stream. The December 23 fire was located in the […]
Construction MMI: Chinese Sourced Steel Prices Spike, Supply Pinches Possible
The Construction MMI (Monthly MetalMiner Index) rose considerably by 7.68%, with Chinese steel prices getting a significant boost. In fact, all facets of the index related to China (except for iron ore) increased. The movement came in the wake of zero-COVID restrictions lifting, which resulted in a sharp rise in coronavirus cases. While this was […]
Rare Earths MMI: Surge in China’s COVID Cases Impact Prices
The Rare Earths MMI (Monthly MetalMiner Index) jumped slightly more than in the past six months, rising 4.45%. All month, geopolitical factors, mostly involving China, significantly impacted the index. For instance, production still proved low in the wake of zero-COVID. Then, once zero-COVID restrictions were lifted, the spike in cases across China kept the drag […]
China’s Economy: Don’t Get Your Hopes Up Just Yet
Could China’s economy resume its normal growth trajectory in 2023 after recording one of its lowest growth rates ever in 2022? Recently, the country introduced some more financial stimuli and eased its rather draconian COVID-19 countermeasures. This has left the world waiting for the resurgence of Chinese manufacturing and the economy at large. But will […]
2022 Stainless Steel and Nickel Price Trends
Stainless and nickel price trends fluctuated much more than carbon steel throughout 2022. The LME nickel squeeze greatly strained both the nickel and stainless steel markets. Indeed, LME nickel prices skyrocketed by almost $25,000 per metric ton back in March. Soon after, the rally cooled down again, eventually bottoming out in July. Come November, prices […]
Copper Price Trends: 2022 Review
Looking at 2022 copper price trends, the market was nearly as volatile as metals like nickel and aluminum. Currently, copper prices are attempting to break prior highs but have yet to get there. As copper taps into short-term resistance levels, the possibility of a pullback in price appears more and more likely. Meanwhile, the copper […]
Aluminum Prices and Global Market: a 2022 Review
Aluminum prices reached a high price of almost $4,000 per metric ton on the LME primary 3-month in 2022. However, there were plenty of sales for roughly half that amount, attesting to the wide range of the 2022 index. When March’s rally ended, prices began a decline that resulted in them hitting a yearly low […]