The October Renewables MMI (Monthly MetalMiner Index) dropped yet again, but by less than in previous months. All in all, prices fell by 3.28%. The demand for battery metals due to the growing EV market largely kept the index afloat. Still recovering from August’s steep drop, Cobalt traded sideways between September 1 and October 1, […]
Category: Industry News
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 […]
Rare Earths MMI: A Renewed Push for Rare Earth Independence
The Rare Earths MMI (Monthly MetalMiner Index) fell an additional 4.04% between September and October, less than half the decline seen the previous months. However, it does indicate that rare earth producers are still under pressure. Rare earth annual contract renewals are coming for 2023. Learn the best contract negotiation tactics in MetalMiner’s free October […]
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 […]
Indonesia Could Impact Nickel Price Direction
Experts anticipate that nickel prices will remain sluggish for the foreseeable future. After the LME’s (London Metal Exchange) nickel squeeze and because of the war in Ukraine, global supply continues to drop. Adding to these problems are expectations that Indonesia’s current nickel surge will further affect nickel price direction. September and October are typically high […]
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 Market After Another Fed Rate Hike
Aluminum supply continues to shrink thanks to smelter shutdowns caused by ongoing energy shortages. Aluminum prices enjoyed a brief rebound following the Fed’s latest rate hike of three-quarters of a point. However, in the short term, aluminum prices remain in a downward trend. Earlier this week, MetalMiner noted how smelter shutdowns in China and Europe […]
HRC and CRC Steel Prices Stagnate Amid Energy Crisis
Hot rolled coil steel prices in Western Europe remain largely unchanged since early September. However, as various market participants told MetalMiner, this is despite attempts by at least one steelmaker to increase them According to our sources, multiple factors continue to suppress demand for flat rolled products. These include a slowdown of public works programs […]
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 […]
