A recent Reuters post detailed how a super-charged two-year rally, which saw Chinese spot lithium carbonate prices rise by tenfold, went into brutal reverse over the first part of this year. Indeed, the lithium spot price slumped by 70% between November and its low point in April. The move leaves many analysts asking: what does the […]
Category: Industry News
Ukrainian Steel Mills Suffer 54% Drop in Steel Production Amidst Russian Invasion
Ukrainian steel mills reported a 54% drop year-over-year in crude steel production for the first four months of 2023. That figure comes directly from a report published by local association Ukrmetalurgprom. The association noted that operating mills in the country poured about 1.81 million metric tons of the liquid metal from January 1 to April […]
How Stainless Steel Pricing Is Expected to Evolve in 2023 and Beyond
Stainless steel is intriguing from a pricing perspective. After all, it has practical applications that are especially sensitive to even small shifts in the economic state of play. With the likelihood of ongoing volatility at a global level this year and in the near future, now is a good time to discuss what changes stainless […]
Copper MMI: Copper Prices Hold Sideways, Caught Between Tight Supply and Bearish Economic Outlook
Overall, the Copper Monthly Metals Index (MMI) rose 2.18% from March to April. However, what is the price of copper currently? Copper prices continued to trade sideways this past month, creating both uncertainty and risk. Meanwhile, traders and investors continue to closely monitor the market for any signs of a breakout in either direction. Prices […]
Copper Prices Turn Upward, but Will the Trend Continue?
In recent weeks, the copper market has taken an upward turn. However, many are curious whether or not copper prices today will continue this uptrend. Copper rose in December 2022 due to low inventories and hopes for recovery after China lifted zero-COVID restrictions. After that rally finally cooled down in January, prices appeared to finally […]
Rare Earths MMI: China Losing Grip on Rare Earths Control
The Rare Earths MMI (Monthly MetalMiner Index) dropped a staggering 11.22% this past month. Industrial production within China proved slow in January. This significantly affected the index, as China remains the source of many rare earth oxides. And with numerous countries searching for non-Chinese rare earth supplies, the Chinese-sourced parts of the index fell greatly. […]
Sibanye-Stillwater Bids for Aussie Zinc Mining Firm, Zinc Prices Weaken
Johannesburg-listed metals and mining multinational Sibanye-Stillwater recently launched a bid to acquire all shares in Australian zinc miner New Century Resources. Sibanye-Stillwater currently holds a 19.9% stake in NCR. Meanwhile, zinc price movements continue to ebb and flow between the A$4400 ($3,000) and A$5200 ($3,500) range per ton. “The proposed takeover is in line with […]
What’s Wrong with Today’s Metal Price Forecasts?
Not many years ago, I attended a large steel conference. A speaker there referenced his past years’ price predictions by saying, “I sure got that wrong.” To many, picking metal prices as a means of providing a price forecast may seem like a fool’s errand. But in reality, technology and techniques have evolved long past […]
Aluminum Shortage Coming? U.S. Considers 200% Tariff on Russian Aluminum
A potential aluminum shortage could be rearing its ugly head once again. This will prove especially true if the U.S. goes ahead with a proposed move to shut out all Russian aluminum unilaterally. Currently, the plan is to accomplish this via a tariff of up to 200%. Thus far, Russian metal producers have largely evaded […]
U.S. Likely to Push Through 200% Tariff on Russian Aluminum
News of the U.S. enacting a 200% tariff on Russian aluminum has evoked a mixed bag of reactions. Some experts say it will have significant implications for the global aluminum market, including a potential aluminum shortage. Others feel the tariff will only impact price speculation. Generally, the latter group expects little else to change with […]
