Clean energy vehicles, such as electric vehicles (EV), are not really 100% “clean.” That is mostly because of the environmental toll of mining. Such mining generates incredible amounts of waste. Furthermore, it leads to damage of nearby flora and fauna. By 2040, mineral demand for clean energy technologies will likely quadruple. That’s a cause for […]
Category: Commodities
This Morning in Metals: US steel capacity utilization rises to 79.2%
This morning in metals news: the US steel capacity utilization rate increased by over a percentage point last week; the Census Bureau released data for April residential construction; and average retail gas prices in the US are over $3.00 per gallon for the first time since 2014. With volatile steel markets, knowing which strategy to […]
Week in Review: Copper price surges; USW-ATI standoff continues; iron ore booms
Before we head into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the week that was and some of the metals storylines here on MetalMiner. In addition, our May 2021 Monthly Metals Index (MMI) PDF is now available for download. The PDF summary includes an executive summary, trends chart and portions of each MMI article […]
This Morning in Metals: Barksdale Resources to acquire Sunnyside copper-lead-zinc-silver project in Arizona
This morning in metals news: Barksdale Resources announced it will acquire 100% of the Sunnyside copper-lead-zinc-silver project in Arizona; meanwhile, Cleveland-Cliffs signs have gone at the former ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor steel mill; and, lastly, the Biden administration has approved the first large-scale offshore wind power project in US waters. The MetalMiner Best Practice Library offers […]
Iron ore prices hit trading limits in Asia
Iron ore prices’ relentless rise this year went into overdrive Monday, hitting a +10% limit up and prompting the Dalian Commodity Exchange to raise trading limits and margin requirements in an effort to calm speculation. Separately, the Shanghai Futures Exchange said it would set fees for closing positions on its steel rebar and hot-rolled steel […]
This Morning in Metals: Century Aluminum reports Q1 net loss despite 14% sales jump
This morning in metals news: Century Aluminum released its Q1 financial results; meanwhile, copper prices continue to surge; and natural gas production plummeted during what was a frigid February in the US. The MetalMiner Best Practice Library offers a wealth of knowledge to help buyers stay on top of metals markets. Century Aluminum releases Q1 […]
Week in Review: Another commodities supercycle?; rising battery demand; European hot rolled coil prices
Before we head into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the week that was and the metals storylines here on MetalMiner, including whether or not we are in a supercycle, rising EV demand and more: MetalMiner should-cost models: Give your organization levers to pull for more price transparency, from service centers, producers and […]
This Morning in Metals: Iron ore prices to remain elevated in 2021
This morning in metals news: MetalMiner’s Stuart Burns weighed in on the outlook for iron ore prices and steel prices throughout the remainder of this year; the unemployment rate was unchanged in April; and the copper price has soared past the $10,000 per metric ton mark. Does your company have a steel buying strategy based […]
Are we headed for another supercycle?
Some of the merchant banks would have us believe we are in the grip of another supercycle. Certainly, the relentless recovery in commodity prices following last year’s lows appears graphically like a repeat of the relentless rise in prices during the last supercycle in the first part of this century. During that supercycle, support came […]
This Morning in Metals: US nonfarm business sector labor productivity rises 5.4% in Q1
This morning in metals news: nonfarm business sector labor productivity jumped by 5.4% in the first quarter; the CME Group said it will permanently close the trading pits it shut down last March; and US energy production dipped last year. More MetalMiner is available on LinkedIn. US nonfarm labor productivity shoots up in Q1 2021 […]