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Welcome to the July-August 2020 issue of the Metal Market Magazine, where we look at supply and demand patterns for chromite and its foundry end uses, as well as an outlook for battery raw materials as automotive battles the coronavirus pandemic.
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Battery raw material prices were on lows for the year in mid-July and spot battery-grade lithium prices were also at multi-year lows, writes William Adams, Fastmarkets head of research for base metals and battery materials.
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Evolving market dynamics in foundry-grade chromite have reshaped trading patterns between South Africa and China, resulting in an almost silent market.
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The Covid-19 pandemic has reversed a long-term fall in chromite prices while supply dried up, but weak demand could cap continued price rises.
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Faced with the Covid-19 pandemic, mining executives are being forced to take swift action and make tough decisions as prices fall, economies contract and demand in key consuming industries declines.
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Battle tested, hard-nosed, and, at times, known to be very blunt, the top executive of the largest and oldest independent iron ore mining company in the US has been called many things in an almost 40-year career spent from one end of the steel supply chain to the other. Fearful is not one of them.
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Steel mills and service centers expect a slow restart to auto making, reports Gregory DL Morris.
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The global Covid-19 pandemic has plunged the oil market into an unprecedented slump, threatening a complete reshaping of the oilfield mineral market. One of the hardest hit industries is likely to be frac sand mining.
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While China’s ports have resumed normal operations, markets for refractories are sluggish.
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Welcome to the June 2020 issue of the Metal Market Magazine, where we analyze how oilfields minerals supply chains will change following Covid-19, and take a look at the restarting automotive industry.
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As the global soda ash industry adjusts to shifts in market fundamentals, Laura Syrett considers the outlook for the mineral’s key sectors and emerging applications.
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China’s domestic logistics are returning to normal, but overseas demand has been curbed by the Covid-19 virus.
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Oilfield mineral markets have been rocked by negative oil prices.
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After 12 years at the helm and two global crises, the president and chief executive officer of the American Iron and Steel Institute is setting sail to calmer seas.
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Welcome to the May 2020 issue of the Metal Market Magazine, which features an in-depth update and outlook on soda ash, as well as Chinese logistics and faltering oil prices.
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Striking the right balance between supply and demand for lithium has been difficult, given the still relatively nascent demand for electric vehicles and the time needed to ramp up lithium production.
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A softening market for graphite flake in Europe, followed by oversupply and the impacts of the novel coronavirus have combined to subdue prices.
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While synthetic graphite is set to retain its dominance for battery anodes, natural graphite is competing.
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Weakness in the price of lithium shows no sign of easing in the near term, market participants tell Fastmarkets' lithium reporters.
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Welcome to the April 2020 issue of the Metal Market Magazine, which features extensive updates on industrial mineral raw materials for the battery supply chain, lithium and graphite.
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Welcome to the March 2020 issue of the Metal Market Magazine, which features extended and analytical content on energy trends and steel tube and pipe products.
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Fluorspar’s sluggish global value chain could be boosted by the impact of coronavirus in China, reports Michael Greenfield.
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Markets for oilfield minerals like frac sand and barite are being influenced by national policies and international trade, reports William Clarke.
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Delays to exports of minerals from China are inevitable as a result of the nation’s battle to contain the spread of novel coronavirus. Davide Ghilotti and Carrie Shi made a mid-February assessment of the impacts.
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The cover profile interviews published by Metal Market Magazine provide fascinating accounts of the journeys taken by today’s leaders in steel and metal businesses to reach their current roles, throughout the supply chain. In this annual review, we summarize their stories from the past year’s issues to highlight some of their key experiences and insights on leadership, management and strategy.
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New LME chair Gay Huey Evans has a great depth of experience and wide range of interests. Andrea Hotter asks her what has driven her career and what priorities she has at the exchange.
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Most provinces in China are still facing strict environmental restrictions during the winter months, with raw materials production and demand from the downstream sector affected to some degree, report Carrie Shi and Sybil Pan.
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The market for fused alumina has been characterized by an increasing separation of brown fused (BFA) and white fused (WFA) alumina. As these factors strengthen, the decoupling is expected to drive these markets further apart in the near term, writes Davide Ghilotti
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Weakening refractories business affected trade flows of Chinese bauxite to international customers, but the supply tightness in mining and processing acted as a counterbalance, reports Sybil Pan.
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Welcome to the February 2020 issue of the Metal Market Magazine, which features an in-depth focus on metallurgical and non-metallurgical bauxite and alumina markets.
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Welcome to your January 2020 issue of the Metal Market Magazine, which now incorporates Industrial Mineral Magazine content.
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Pressure is continuing to mount on the refractories sector while its main market – the steel industry – suffers from overcapacity, trade tensions and emissions reduction targets, Rose Pengelly finds.
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Suppliers debate whether calcined alumina can break the oversupply wall in a bearish 2020 scenario, writes Davide Ghilotti.
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Overcapacity in China’s magnesia sector and shrinking international demand have roiled the domestic market this year, dragging prices to a two-year low and prompting producers to lower output, reports Carrie Shi.
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Alexander Shevelev, CEO of Russian steelmaker Severstal, says that the company has changed its culture quite quickly and substantially to focus on being a solutions provider. Richard Barrett asked him to explain that mission and to recall his path from the shop floor to the top of a company that employs 50,000 people
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From the withdrawal of one of its core members to the implementation of a new fuel surcharge on exports, the last year has been an eventful one for Ansac - the world’s largest exporter of natural soda ash. But as president Chris Douville tells Ross Davies, the challenge of running the corporation continues to be a rewarding experience.
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Lithium has traditionally been considered a specialty chemical, but it has been acting more like a commodity in recent years, according to analysts. Martim Facada considers how this development was sparked by the growth of the Chinese industry and raised quality expectations.
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Frustration at the lack of progress in India’s mining sector was simmering at the annual FIMI meeting in Delhi in September. Sunder Singh discovers how many in the industry believe that, far from advancing, mineral production in India is going backwards.
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Delegates at Fastmarkets' Graphite 2019 Conference in Berlin, Germany, in September said reduced volumes from Mozambique may gradually rebalance graphite prices, Davide Ghilotti and Jon Stibbs, write.
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European battery production will more than double in the decade to 2025, according to industry association Eurobat. Jon Stibbs considers Europe’s political response to the growth of its battery sector.
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The consequences of China’s environmental inspections crippled supplies of fluorspar to the rest of the world in 2018, and the material now comes at a premium although quality and delivery are not guaranteed. Michael Greenfield examines how European and US consumers of the mineral are looking elsewhere to secure their supply chains.
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Fastmarkets identified seven main takeaways from its 11th Lithium Supply and Markets Conference in Santiago in June.
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Claims that natural graphite is a cheaper alternative to synthetic material are frequently made in the junior mining sector, but downstream users say there is price parity among end-products. Rose Pengelly reports.
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Indian refractories output rebounded in 2018, after three successive years of decline. Sunder Singh analyzes what was behind the shift in the industry’s fortunes and hears reasons for both optimism and consternation, from some of the market’s key participants.
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State-backed incentives for the production of electric vehicles (EVs), which up until now have been mostly financial, are slowly shifting to supportive legislation for the sector.
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Production from new lithium projects is expected to fall short of forecast consumption.
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Having the capacity to produce either lithium carbonate or hydroxide is essential to the commercial survival of projects industry delegates have heard.
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Australian exploration company Infinity Lithium explains why the rewards of developing lithium projects in the EU could be immeasurable, if the bloc acts on pledges to support the development of local battery supply chains.
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When Erik Zobec launched Seven Refractories at
the height of the eurozone crisis, few would have believed the company would go on to become one
of the world’s leading monolithics producers. As
Seven approaches 10 years in business, he talks to Ross Davies about its ascent.
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US-based Bricking Solutions has been in the refractories kiln maintenance business for more than 50 years and has been led by managing director Heather Harding since January 2019. She shares her views on the business she runs and the wider refractories industry.
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