Month-over-month, the Precious Metals MMI (Monthly Metals Index) witnessed almost no movement and narrowly missed trading flat. Indeed, the index remained sideways, only dropping by a slight 0.11%. That said, the Fed’s stance on holding interest rates at an elevated level could impact precious metal prices in the near future. Interestingly enough, scrap precious metal […]
Category: Non-ferrous Metals
India’s Aluminum Appetite Surges: How Will This New Global Player Affect Aluminum Prices?
In an otherwise down market staring at a slow recovery in 2023, only India stands apart from the rest of the world in terms of aluminum production and consumption. Indeed, the government’s push for new infrastructure, especially for green energy, continues to drive domestic consumption and overall stability for aluminum prices. The country is already the […]
Aluminum MMI: Hydro Bets Big on Lower Carbon Aluminum, Aluminum Prices Remain Mostly Flat
LME aluminum prices edged sideways throughout August, with a modest 1.69% month-over-month rise. Meanwhile, prices show little bullish or bearish momentum as they continue to trade within a tight range. Overall, the Aluminum Monthly Metals Index (MMI) continued to move sideways as well, rising a modest 0.79% from August to September. Get valuable market trends, […]
Desperate Move? Russia Importing Aluminum Oxide from India Amidst Shortage
A somewhat desperate Russia has made some interesting moves relating to its need for aluminum oxide, also known as alumina. Recent reports indicate that the country began importing alumina from India several months ago. This is in addition to China, which already supplied aluminum oxide to Russia’s Siberian plants. Obviously, Russia found itself on a […]
Rare Earths MMI: Is China Losing the Rare Earth Magnets Race?
Seeing its first significant rise in over eight months, the Rare Earths MMI welcomed a boost of 6.84% month-over-month. Indeed, Chinese production of rare earths and rare earth magnets finally appears on the rise. It’s also possible that Chinese stimulus efforts impacted prices month-on-month. Neodymium, for instance, began a rally in mid-August before slowing down […]
China’s Relentless Pursuit of Lithium Battery Materials: A Growing Powerhouse
It seems that China’s hunger for lithium remains unsatiated. Indeed, a new S&P Global report highlighted the “red dragon’s” efforts to gobble up critical minerals, including lithium battery elements, from mines across the globe. The report explained how China’s reach continues to grow in terms of minerals, particularly those critical to products that have major […]
Shake Up for Aluminum Prices? China’s Surge into Indonesia Sparks Market Shifts
It’s called the “nickel model,” and China hopes to duplicate it for its aluminum industry. Indeed, after more than 20 years of fast growth, China’s aluminum sector recently reached its domestic capacity limit. The government imposed this ceiling on new smelter construction to cut down on pollution and energy consumption. Now, the policy spur significant […]
U.S. Slaps 122.5% Tariff on Chinese Tin Plate Steel, Sparks Accusations of Unfair Play
The U.S. Department of Commerce recently decided to enforce preliminary anti-dumping duties on imports of tin mill and tin plate steel from China at a duty rate of 122.5%. As this is the highest preliminary rate, the move provoked severe criticism from trade analysts and experts across China. This tariff also applies to China’s leading […]
U.S. and Mongolia Forge Pact to Extract Rare Earths
At a meeting several days ago, officials from the U.S. and Mongolia discussed devising innovative approaches to ensure the smooth entry of essential minerals from the landlocked Mongolian nation into the global market, namely for materials for rare earth magnets. Following his meeting with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington, Mongolian Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene […]
China’s Imports of Refined Copper Hit Four-Year Low
In the first half of 2023, China’s intake of refined copper saw the biggest drop in four years. The news underscores the current deceleration of the nation’s manufacturing sphere. China is one of the world’s largest buyers of refined copper. Still, it seems the country’s appetite for imports is waning. According to a report by […]