Raw materials - Ores & Alloys

Spot 63.5% Fe iron ore prices narrow to $140-141 per tonne cfr
May 17, 2012 - 10:03 GMT
China’s imported iron ore market remained downbeat on Thursday May 17, as weak steel prices saw little buying activity.
Chinese molybdenum conc prices hit three-year low
May 16, 2012 - 08:04 GMT
Chinese molybdenum concentrate prices fell again this week after sellers cut offers still further, with prices reaching their lowest level since June 2009.
Indonesian nickel shipping comes to halt after May 6
May 8, 2012 - 06:43 GMT
Ships carrying nickel have not been allowed to leave the Indonesian island of Sulawesi since May 6, when a ban on exports of raw materials took effect.
RESOURCE NATIONALISM: Indonesia will implement mineral ore export ban, taxes from May 6
May 4, 2012 - 07:31 GMT
Indonesia is set to implement a mineral ore export ban and impose taxes starting May 6, a senior government official told Metal Bulletin.
COMMENT: May 6 Indonesian ore export ban game theory
Apr 19, 2012 - 03:53 GMT
What will happen after May 6, when Indonesia's ore export ban is due to come into force? Metal Bulletin charts three possible scenarios.

Ores & Alloys

May 23, 2012 14:43 Chinese tungsten ore output drops 8% in April
May 23, 2012 00:47 Temco restart may crimp US manganese alloy tags
May 22, 2012 08:44 Baosteel raises ferro-chrome prices for June
May 22, 2012 06:17 BHP decides Temco manganese plant is still viable
May 21, 2012 11:03 China’s ferro-chrome imports drop almost one-third in April
May 19, 2012 21:22 US ferrosilicon prices tumble on aggressive selling
May 19, 2012 20:58 US moly prices weaken on supplier nervousness
May 17, 2012 10:03 Spot 63.5% Fe iron ore prices narrow to $140-141 per tonne cfr
May 17, 2012 07:19 Taigang unexpectedly starts June ferro-chrome purchases
May 17, 2012 00:40 US Lawmakers object to EPA’s ferroalloy rules
May 16, 2012 08:04 Chinese molybdenum conc prices hit three-year low
May 16, 2012 04:00 China Molybdenum gets approval for IPO in Shanghai
May 16, 2012 00:26 US DLA offers 700 tons of low-carbon ferrochrome
May 11, 2012 09:27 China ferro-alloys output falls 7.5% in April
May 11, 2012 08:57 Taigang raises ferro-chrome prices for May

[more]

Iron ore & coking coal

May 24, 2012 18:27 Usiminas sticks to 29m tpy iron ore target
May 24, 2012 17:15 IRON ORE DERIVATIVES WRAP: Volumes fall as index edges up
May 24, 2012 15:28 MMTC extends iron ore contracts with Japan, South Korea mills
May 24, 2012 12:44 Bellzone’s first Forecariah ore shipment not expected until Q3
May 24, 2012 12:42 Severstal resources division sales down 9% in Q1
May 24, 2012 12:37 Tata increases 2012 Northern Iron offtake deal to 1.77m tonnes
May 24, 2012 11:54 Vale’s iron ore distribution centre in Malaysia to start operating in 2014

[more]

Ferrous Scrap

May 25, 2012 02:50 US East Coast scrap prices fall again at docks
May 24, 2012 14:50 DAILY SCRAP REPORT: Small Black Sea buyers sell off cargoes
May 24, 2012 00:29 Harsco renews three multiyear contracts in US
May 23, 2012 14:45 DAILY SCRAP REPORT: Index unchanged on lack of new offers
May 23, 2012 10:24 China halts scrap imports on weak domestic market
May 23, 2012 00:35 US recyclers facing bankruptcy filings
May 23, 2012 00:31 SA Recycling dismisses Calif. closure rumors

[more]

Comment & Analysis

COMMENT – ASIA MINING CONGRESS: Is Australia losing its edge as a mining destination?

The audience went missing during the Australian session of the Asia Mining Congress on Tuesday March 27 – possibly an indication that the country is losing its attractiveness to investors.
COMMENT: Glasenberg eyes opportunities in crisis

Glencore's boss was keen to talk about a less-discussed aspect of the recent financial turmoil: the opportunities it presents to bigger companies, like Glencore, which are more buffered against volatility
COMMENT: Beware of pulling a dragon by its tail

High-profile trade disputes, like the WTO raw materials case, are more complex than the jingoism which accompanies them, and trade policy more schizophrenic than political rhetoric suggests

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Poll of the week

To what extent has the handling of the MF Global bankruptcy, UBS’ rogue trading scandal and now JP Morgan’s harpooning of the London Whale damaged your confidence in the City as a global financial hub?

Not at all – these events could have happened anywhere
Slightly – large losses and the slow recovery of client cash suggest the regulatory framework could be stronger
Moderately – These events show global banks are using London to take risks they couldn’t take anywhere else
Drastically – I’ll be in Singapore by the end of the week