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December 2020
02 December 2020
A new round of winter environmental regulations in China’s Henan province complicates further the picture for brown fused alumina (BFA) amid slow refractories demand, surging freight rates and currency volatility.
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November 2020
27 November 2020
Brown fused alumina (BFA) and refractory-grade bauxite prices climbed in the latest fortnightly pricing session on Thursday November 26 due to support from environmental regulations in China for the winter months, while the Chinese white fused alumina (WFA) assessment rose by 5% on the low end amid fast-rising container freight rates.
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25 November 2020
The recent surge in container freight costs and availability of cargo space continue to disrupt trade flows in minerals and metals, with trading companies finding themselves unable to dodge the soaring shipping rates.
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25 November 2020
Global crude steel output rose for the third consecutive month in October as other countries joined China in ramping up production, according to the latest figures from the World Steel Association (Worldsteel).
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25 November 2020
European steelmakers need to consolidate to gain better control over pricing and the supply-demand balance as well as to better tackle rising production costs, but it will not solve the major problems of the European flat steel market, sources told Fastmarkets.
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17 November 2020
China’s crude steel, hot metal and finished steel output continued to grow on a year-on-year basis in October, according to data released by the country’s National Bureau of Statistics on Monday November 16.
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16 November 2020
Fifteen countries signed up to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership at the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on Sunday November 15.
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16 November 2020
China produced 17.45 million tonnes of refractory materials in China in the first nine months of 2020, down by 7.3% year on year, although performance improved in the third quarter compared with earlier in the year.
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13 November 2020
China’s price for white fused alumina (WFA) moved up during the fortnight to Thursday November 12 amid surging container freight rates, while the markets for brown fused alumina (BFA) and refractory-grade bauxite edged higher on the rising value of the Chinese yuan and the threat of environmental controls on operations in major production hubs.
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12 November 2020
Fast-rising costs for container freight on a number of major shipping routes are causing disruption in trade flows for minerals and metals alike, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday November 12.
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11 November 2020
Contract negotiations for next year’s supply of calcined alumina volumes were progressing slowly, with both sellers and buyers expecting discussions to continue beyond the end of 2020, sources told Fastmarkets.
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10 November 2020
With China significantly ahead of the curve in terms of economic recovery after Covid-19, its ambitious infrastructure investments have been under the spotlight because of the enormous boost to domestic consumption - especially demand for steel products.
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09 November 2020
A new round of environmental regulations in the coming winter season will add to the supply crisis caused by a shortage of bauxite ore and depletion of high-quality resources in Shanxi province, China’s production hub for refractory-grade bauxite, sources have told Fastmarkets.
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06 November 2020
Contracts for the supply of several mineral raw materials for 2021 are expected to be shorter in their duration and cover smaller volumes compared with previous years, while market participants claim negotiations are progressing slowly and with no clear market references.
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06 November 2020
A summary of ArcelorMittal's financial results for the third quarter of 2020.
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04 November 2020
A summary of results from France-headquartered minerals producer and processor Imerys for the third quarter of 2020, released on Monday November 2.
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02 November 2020
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.