Glencore plans to place the zinc smelting line at its Nordenham plant in northern Germany on care and maintenance starting November 1. This represents yet another major blow to European metal manufacturing, which continues to see shutdowns amid the continent-wide energy crisis. In an October 5 memo, the London and Johannesburg-listed company’s supervisory board chairman, […]
Category: Commodities
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 […]
Latest Updates on LME Aluminum: Potential Russian Prohibition
Last week, speculators bought up aluminum amid a $100/ton spike following news that LME aluminum may soon exclude Russian materials. The LME continues to review a ban that would keep Russian aluminum, nickel, and copper from the exchange. A Reuters post illustrated the seriousness of the move, stating that Russia’s Nornickel accounted for 7% of global […]
Tin Price Swings in 2022 and Anticipations for 2023
After a nearly two-year-long bullish trend in the tin market, the tin price recently took a bearish turn. Fed by the pandemic, the tin price reached an all-time high. However, buyer exhaustion soon overtook the market, leading to price drops. Like many metals, tin remains volatile for the moment, having bottomed out in July. But […]
Recession Fears Ramp Up Pressure on Industrial Metals Market
Experts agree that a global recession is now a foregone conclusion. Though they continue to argue about the potential extent of the damage and which countries may evade repercussions, few see any way to avoid a downturn. As usual, one of the first markets to react to the growing concern is industrial metals. Back on […]
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 […]
Copper Prices: Firming of Resistance and Demand Zones
The copper industry showed resilience through many market challenges throughout 2022. Despite dropping prices and demand, copper continues to fight against obstacles ranging from Europe’s energy crisis and smelter shutdowns to China’s property crisis and shrinking demand. As MetalMiner noted earlier this month, copper markets do remain particularly volatile. And while prices traded sideways in […]
Low-Carbon Demand Could Positively Impact US Steel Prices
The Biden-Harris Administration today announced that they would “prioritize the purchase of key low-carbon construction materials, covering 98% of materials purchased by the Federal government.” As steel plants shutter around the world, this is a boon to U.S. manufacturers concerned about dropping steel prices. The announcement highlights the latest section of the “Buy Clean” initiative, […]
Global Precious Metals MMI: Gold Hits Yearly Low
The September Global Precious Metals MMI (Monthly Metals Index) moved sideways, dropping by just 1.8%. Despite the slight loss, month-over-month, gold prices hit lows not seen in around two years. MetalMiner’s FREE September webinar is tomorrow! Learn how to gauge metal prices and explore battery metal pricing. Sign up here! Gold Hits Yearly Low Amid […]
Stainless Steel MMI: Nickel Prices Move Sideways, Begin to Climb in September
By Nichole Bastin and Katie Benchina Olsen The Stainless Steel Monthly Metals Index (MMI) dropped 5.08% from August to September. Nickel prices began to rise this month, breaking through prior highs visible on shorter time frames such as the hourly and daily charts. Ultimately, prices bounced off bullish zones formed before the LME’s shutdown in […]