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Magnesia producers outside of China saw good demand in 2021 and ramped up production while market participants have seen several factors supporting prices early in 2022.
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Most market participants are adopting a cautious attitude to the magnesia market in 2022, with uncertainties about China’s industrial policies, power cuts and electricity costs, as well as magnesia industry consolidation and environmental rules, overshadowing the entire magnesia sector.
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Graphite flake prices bounced back in 2021 due to evolving market dynamics amid global logistics issues, China’s power crunch and its environmental inspections. These factors look likely to continue to drive the graphite flake market into 2022, report Sybil Pan and Jon Stibbs.
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The cover profiles published in Metal Market Magazine provide real-life examples of good business leadership, management and strategy given by leaders with extensive practical experience of running international companies.
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Welcome to the January 2022 issue of Metal Market Magazine, where we take an in-depth look at current bottlenecks in graphite supply and the drivers in China and abroad supporting the magnesia markets.
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Welcome to the November-December 2021 issue of Metal Market Magazine, where we look back at the rally experienced across the main battery raw materials this year and where the near- and long-term bottlenecks are likely to arise.
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Power shortages in China raise questions about their effects on the energy-intensive parts of the production of battery raw materials and components. Susan Zou and Sybil Pan outline recent trends
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A joint venture between Australia’s Neometals Ltd and Germany’s SMS group, Primobius has completed its demonstration plant in Germany and plans are advancing rapidly to proceed with commercial recycling in 2022, reports Richard Barrett.
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The choice of battery chemistries, supply chain disruptions and consumer demand are a few of many factors with roles to play in the fortunes of battery raw materials markets this year. Fastmarkets expert analysts William Adams and Amy Bennett summarize the drivers at play and the outlook for lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite in global battery production
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Kathleen Quirk, the president and chief financial officer of US copper producer Freeport-McMoRan, stresses teamwork and the strength of her colleagues in discussing her career with Andrea Hotter.
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Automotive manufacturers have faced a bumpy ride since the beginning of 2020, with the Covid-19 pandemic hitting production and demand, while its effects on the supply chain have created shortages of materials and components. Myra Pinkham unpacks the trends and outlines the road ahead.
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With rare earth prices climbing on fresh demand from the new-energy sector and the potential for future Chinese supply constraints, governments outside China are supporting new sources of supply, William Clarke reports.
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Demand for mineral sands is booming at the same time that supply is constrained. William Clarke outlines the outlook for the short- and long-term supply-demand balance for the titanium dioxide feedstock sector.
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As the director of sales, global supply chain and trade compliance at Indium Corp as well as chair of the Minor Metals Trade Association (MMTA), Donna Vareha-Walsh has a global view of markets for minor metals. She outlined big plans for the MMTA and described her path to success with Cristina Belda.
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Welcome to the October 2021 issue of Metal Market Magazine, where we track the ongoing rally in mineral sands and the fundamentals driving rare earths supply projects outside China.
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Chinese exports of refractory-grade bauxite increased by 51.58% year on year in the first seven months of 2021, while shipments of white and brown fused alumina (WFA, BFA) rose by 52.37% and 26.34% respectively over the same period.
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China’s amorphous graphite price has widened downward over the past month on mixed market sentiment brought about by slow downstream demand in China but stronger demand in seaborne markets.
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Demand for Chinese magnesia is expected to weaken, due to the country's steel production curbs in the second half of 2021, while logistics delays and rising freight fees increase in interest in material from other origins.
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Tightness in the availability of andalusite, caused by logistical issues affecting delivery schedules on key shipping routes, is being exacerbated by strong demand from the downstream refractories sector.
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Welcome to the September 2021 issue of Metal Market Magazine, where we look at the performance and outlook of the main refractory mineral raw materials.
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Welcome to the July-August 2021 issue of Metal Market Magazine, where we investigate the strong market fundamentals driving titanium dioxide this year, and the evolution of supply and demand in non-metallurgical chromite.
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Growing demand for the multiple products that depend on titanium dioxide for their manufacture is driving rising output and revenue for its producers, but that is also raising questions about the future supplies of the feedstock materials they need, as William Clarke reports.
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China’s metallurgical chrome market rally in June-July triggered a boost for foundry chromite at the end of July. This could prompt a demand shift from domestic screened material to South African foundry chromite. Sybil Pan and Siyi Liu report.
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The non-metallurgical chromite market has been dogged so far in 2021 by the long-tail effects of oversupply built up from previous years and insufficient demand rallies, but recent developments may speed up the sector’s recovery, as Davide Ghilotti reports.
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The chief executive officer of Kudumane Manganese Resources, Thembelani Gantsho, is passionate about the opportunities for South African mining. He spoke with Janie Davies about his first-hand experience of funding and operating a new mine, and the outlook for the nation’s mining industry.
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China’s exports of acidspar have diminished while the domestic downstream market has been in overdrive, confirming China’s position as a net importer of acidspar for 2021.
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Not for the first time, governments are focusing attention on supplies of rare earths as a vital resource for many areas of industry and technology. William Clarke reviews key international rare-earth supply chains and plans as the materials take center stage in a rush for new energy minerals
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The steel and metals industries stress that their products are key to enabling solutions to address global environmental priorities. Myra Pinkham gathers international views on progress in ‘green’ transformation and asks what today’s environmental goals imply for industrial production and future demand
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With responsibilities across Tata Steel’s diverse international portfolio of steelmaking assets, chief executive officer and managing director TV Narendran has a wide-ranging view of, and experience in, the global steel industry. He told Kunal Bose about the company’s strategy to thrive in a changing world for major steel producers
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Welcome to the June 2021 issue of Metal Market Magazine, where we take an in-depth look into the supply chain and markets of rare earths and the evolution in global fluorspar supply and demand.
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Marked by environmental regulation, differing cost bases and key producers restructuring their business models, the soda ash production landscape is taking a new shape.
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Silicon carbide demand is expected to grow as its value in components increasingly needed
for power electronics is recognized, reports Cristina Belda.
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GEM chairman Kaihua Xu has worked on building a path for recycling in China since the mid-1990s - he recalls the key steps and discusses the growth and outlook for one of China’s leading recycling businesses.
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Welcome to the May 2021 issue of Metal Market Magazine, where we look at growth prospects for silicon carbide driven by power electronics applications and the evolution of soda ash production as companies reshape their business model.
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Graphite company Syrah Resources plans to ramp up its flake output with a flexible approach to production, chief executive officer Shaun Verner told Jon Stibbs in late-February
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The flake graphite market, especially for fines, looks set to come under pressure through 2021 while increasing supply outweighs the growth of demand, Jon Stibbs and Sybil Pan report.
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Changing preferences for lithium-ion battery chemistries in China have altered relative lithium prices, Susan Zou and Carrie Shi report.
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Lithium supply is set to be tight in 2021, despite a ramp-up in output, William Adams reports.
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Welcome to the March 2021 issue of Metal Market Magazine, where we take stock of the latest developments in oilfield mineral markets, the outlook for steel tube and pipe and the US President Joe Biden administration's take on that country's supply chains.
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The change in direction on the part of the new United States administration with a greater focus on domestic manufacturing and local supply chains will benefit established and developing industrial minerals as well as metals sectors, including steel, rare earths, graphite and lithium, Davide Ghilotti and Mark Shenk report.
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Low oil prices and consequently much-reduced rig activity depressed demand for oilfield minerals last year, but the industry is staging a recovery in 2021, reports William Clarke
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The international impacts of the Covid-19 global pandemic in 2020 were severe, but Fastmarkets’ tube and pipe research team* detect the early signs of market recovery during 2021 and forecast better years ahead.
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In her early career, La Farga CEO Inka Guixà had not considered working for the business founded by her father and grandfather, but in her late-20s she accepted an invitation to join the company and assist in its expansion. She recounts her route to the top of the business and discusses the outlook for copper with Andrea Hotter.
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Welcome to the February 2021 issue of Metal Market Magazine, where we feature an in-depth look at the issues surrounding Chinese bauxite supply, the effect of environmental controls on bauxite and fused alumina output, and a gradual improvement in trading conditions for calcined alumina.
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Calcined alumina suppliers hope the recent increase in demand they have noted will prompt a rebound in prices later in the year.
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China’s exports of refractory-grade bauxite and white fused alumina dropped slightly in 2020, while exports of brown fused alumina plunged by 26%, owing to preference for lower-priced WFA according to sources.
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Supply uncertainty facing the refractories raw material sector is to continue in the first quarter of 2021 due to regulations in major Chinese production hubs for bauxite and fused alumina, as well as surging logistics costs.
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Refractory raw material consumers are likely to face shortages in bauxite, with the continued supply and logistics bottlenecks from China coming against a low-stock situation in destination markets.
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More instances of “fake flake” graphite being sold as genuine material have been reported, especially as large flake sizes. Fastmarkets spoke with market sources to gauge this material’s effect on the market and its uses when sold correctly.
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The recent surge in container freight costs and limited cargo space are disrupting flows and crushing traders’ profits.
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