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March 2019
22 March 2019
The iodine price range has stayed as wide as as $2 per kg.
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22 March 2019
Fastmarkets is proposing to amend the price specifications of all grades of flake graphite, and to delist two flake graphite prices and three amorphous graphite prices.
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22 March 2019
China’s domestic lithium spot market stabilized in the week ended Thursday March 21 after price dips a week ago, while assessments in the seaborne markets weakened on low demand and thin trading activity.
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22 March 2019
Trade log for battery-grade lithium carbonate in China including trades, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.
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22 March 2019
Most refractory companies in China's Henan province are still under strict environmental inspections, reducing demand for refractory raw materials.
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22 March 2019
China’s flake graphite export prices dipped this week after exporters in the country cut their offer levels amid an abundance of the material in the market, while low buying interest compounded the weakness.
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21 March 2019
Buyers sellers and traders at the European Coatings show reported a cautious increase in prices.
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21 March 2019
The price for Chinese acidspar stayed flat this week, putting an end to the slippage which has seen the price narrow downward by $80 per tonne over the past month.
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20 March 2019
Neometals has sold its 13.8% equity interest in the Mount Marion lithium project to Ganfeng Lithium and Mineral Resources Limited.
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20 March 2019
The titanium dioxide producer proposes to sell Cristal's North American assets to INEOS when it purchases its rival.
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20 March 2019
A local government in Kenya is claiming more than $170 million in outstanding land rates from global soda ash producer TCML in a dispute that has reached the country’s High Court, with the judgment expected next week.
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20 March 2019
Output and supply from Syrah’s Balama graphite operation in Mozambique have not been affected by Cyclone Idai, the company said.
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20 March 2019
China’s fused magnesia market remained stagnant on increasing stocks and slow downstream demand, with export prices staying soft following the weaker domestic market.
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20 March 2019
The two-tier market structure in the price of dried chromite materials continues to widen, with aggressive offers from new entrants to the sector pulling the low end downwards.
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19 March 2019
Global seaborne antimony trioxide prices were steady week on week on March 19, but domestic European and US prices softened because of the continuing low levels of demand.
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19 March 2019
The number of new passenger car registrations in the EU decreased by only 0.96% year-on-year in February 2019.
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19 March 2019
There could be a metallurgical bauxite shortage if the resolution to ban upstream tailings dams is put into effect.
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19 March 2019
UK customers have increased orders of natural graphite on mounting uncertainty of trade agreements after the UK leaves the European Union.
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18 March 2019
Pilbara Minerals intends to produce battery-grade lithium chemicals in South Korea through a joint venture with Posco.
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18 March 2019
Data from the South African goverment shows chromite production sharply lower.
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18 March 2019
Hilde Merete Aasheim, currently executive vice president and head of Hydro’s primary metal business area, will assume the role of chief executive as of May 8 this year.
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18 March 2019
The fall in China’s output of unshaped refractory materials output in January reflects lower output of alumina-silicon refractory materials, data shows.
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15 March 2019
Fastmarkets IM has extended the consultation period for its proposal to discontinue one fluorspar price.
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15 March 2019
The Chilean lithium miner can now proceed with a two-phase plan to more than double domestic capacity over the next few years after local authorities gave the go-ahead.
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15 March 2019
Frac sand prices have risen since February, Smart Sand’s chief operating officer tells investors.
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15 March 2019
The price for acidspar on an fob China basis has fallen for the second time in three weeks, on sluggish end market demand and adequate supplies.
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15 March 2019
Chinese domestic battery-grade lithium carbonate and hydroxide prices edged down this week in a quiet market, while the seaborne lithium carbonate assessment dropped by 3.8% on material offered at lower levels from China and South America.
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15 March 2019
The price range for China-origin soda ash has narrowed to its smallest gap for two years at $5 per tonne, with supplies of light-grade material becoming tight.
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14 March 2019
The miner achieved lower than expected average prices in the quarter, but remains optimistic as output increases.
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14 March 2019
The controlled power outages could hit production at high-electricity users, including ferro-chrome smelters, and push prices up as a result.
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14 March 2019
Antimony trioxide prices fob China have been on a downtrend for the past 10 months after suppliers were forced to cut prices on weak demand.
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13 March 2019
China, the world’s main steel-producing nation, imported almost half-a-million tonnes of fluorspar in 2018, driven by its booming domestic steel market.
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13 March 2019
Kenmare has reported higher mineral sand production and revenues in 2018, although ilmenite output fell, while higher zircon prices boosted profits.
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13 March 2019
Different factors are affecting price trends at the top and bottom of the price ranges for foundry grade chromite materials. Spreads are increasing again in dried and bagged product.
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13 March 2019
Quiet buying activity and rising stock levels have put Chinese magnesia prices on a downtrend, especially dead burned magnesia and fused magnesia. With the market so flat, producers have lowered their prices to boost cash flow.
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13 March 2019
Chinese output and sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) have continued their uptrend in February 2019.
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12 March 2019
The iodine price was flat again although one iodine producer reported an increasing number of inquiries from consumers, while in Chile heavy rains affected production and logistics but only for a few days last month.
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12 March 2019
Chinese antimony suppliers have cut their prices in a bid to attract buyers - but the European domestic market remains steady for now
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12 March 2019
The new alumina contract will allow market participants to hedge against risk.
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12 March 2019
Steep increases in price of the raw material have squeezed margins among iodine derivatives producers, while some companies are reported to be producing very cheap derivatives in a bid to gain market share.
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12 March 2019
Kronos is the latest titanium dioxide (TiO2) producer to feel the effect of sluggish European pigment demand.
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12 March 2019
Chilean miner SQM expects to increase its sales volumes of lithium compounds by 2025 to 150,000 tonnes per year, with production capacity also rising to 180,000 tpy, spurred by growing demand.
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11 March 2019
Offshore drilling activity is at its highest level in over three years, driven by record Chinese activity, while US onshore activity remains sluggish despite upbeat outlooks from frackers.
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11 March 2019
The exchange's new contracts - backed by Fastmarkets prices - will give market participants an additional way to hedge.
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11 March 2019
Chinese finished steel exports decreased in February on both a yearly and a month-on-month basis amid uncompetitive prices and fewer working days as a result of the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday.
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08 March 2019
The market for extremely pure alumina is set to more than double in the next five years due to the growing electric vehicle (EV) sector, Altech claims.
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08 March 2019
China’s domestic spot lithium carbonate market was stable this week, with most producers unwilling to lower their prices and lithium hydroxide prices still on a downtrend due to a lack of interest from downstream buyers.
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08 March 2019
Prices for two grades of bauxite have ticked downward, as has the price for white fused alumina, but brown fused alumina remained stable, with the market said to be mostly flat on limited activity.
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08 March 2019
China’s major mills continued to raise their daily output rates for crude steel in mid-February, while their finished steel inventories also rose.
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07 March 2019
South African metals producers, including of ferro-chrome, will have to contend with higher energy prices for at least the next years from Eskom as well as an elevated risk of load shedding.
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07 March 2019
Chinese sellers reduced their offers on weak market demand, while the market remained flat in the US.
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07 March 2019
The United States increased its imports of acidspar for the third consecutive year, according to data from US government agency US Geological Survey.
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07 March 2019
The Russian aluminium producer forecasts a positive 2019 after a volatile aluminium market last year.
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06 March 2019
New entrants looking to establish a position in chromite supply are bidding aggressively to secure business, amid a bearish market scenario.
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06 March 2019
Fastmarkets IM's monthly price movements.
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06 March 2019
Oil and gas drilling waste water, which is already a major source of iodine in the United States, could open up domestic lithium operations.
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05 March 2019
Ciner Group will be the world’s largest soda ash producer in five years’ time, once it completes its latest capacity expansion program.
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05 March 2019
Frac sand demand in the Permian Basin is set to rise after ExxonMobil announced plans to increase oil output in the region.
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04 March 2019
Lynas will be unable to meet Malaysian rules on waste management at its rare earth plant in Kuantan, Fastmarkets IM has learned.
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04 March 2019
China's caustic calcined magnesia and fused magnesia shipments were down in January 2019 on an annual basis on weaker demand from international buyers, while dead burned magnesia (DBM) exports were up slightly.
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04 March 2019
Fastmarkets IM has begun a consultation on its proposal to increase the frequency of its andalusite price assessments to quarterly.
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01 March 2019
The prices of fluorspar products in China have moved down on sluggish domestic demand since the new year break, for the first time since 2010, but the cif Rotterdam price has climbed slightly in reported purchases.
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01 March 2019
Chilean miner SQM plans to hold back more than 10,000 tonnes of lithium in 2019 to build up its strategic stockpile.
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01 March 2019
Kronos is attempting to implement price rises for US pigment buyers.
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01 March 2019
Fluorspar mining is among activities that have been stopped in China’s Inner Mongolia after a mine accident in the region that killed 21 workers.
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01 March 2019
The Chinese domestic lithium hydroxide price fell by 1.5% on Thursday February 28 due to unimproved downstream demand while the lithium carbonate market was steady week on week after most producers stood firm on offer prices.
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01 March 2019
Trade log for battery-grade lithium carbonate in China including trades, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.
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February 2019
28 February 2019
Tronox is the latest TiO2 producer to be affected by destocking in Europe, with Q4 sales down by 8% year on year.
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28 February 2019
UK refractory material producer Vesuvius has bought a refractory products company in the United States to develop its presence in North America.
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28 February 2019
The andalusite market remains buoyant on refractories demand and ongoing issues with alternative raw materials such as Chinese bauxite, but participants are hopeful the ripple effects of the 2017 shortage may finally be coming to an end.
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28 February 2019
Production increased in Asia and North America but fell in the EU and CIS.
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27 February 2019
Prices in the European market for refractory and abrasive green silicon carbide grades have moved up month on month on tighter availability of material and higher production costs in China late in 2018.
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27 February 2019
China’s domestic magnesia prices began a downtrend amid increasing stocks and thin buying activity, while exporters decreased prices by a small range but downstream buyers had no immediate need and are waiting for lower prices.
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26 February 2019
Australian producer Galaxy raised production and sales of lithium spodumene in the last quarter of 2018, but the achieved cash margin declined.
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26 February 2019
Geopolitical uncertainty could affect mergers and acquisitions (M&A), PwC said highlighting Brexit and US elections.
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26 February 2019
Japanese carmaker Honda has set itself an ambitious target that hybrid electric vehicles will make up half of its output by 2030, while sourcing its raw materials responsibly and seeking transparency in the market for cobalt for use in batteries.
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26 February 2019
Imerys will focus on cash generation and cost control this year to combat challenging business that will spill over from the end of last year, it said.
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26 February 2019
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26 February 2019
Neometals sold more material year on year in the fourth quarter of 2018, with 94,000 tonnes of spodumene produced and a price of $931 per tonne cfr achieved.
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26 February 2019
New Day Aluminium Holding's new NICHE unit will incorporate Gramercy’s alumina hydrate operation and ARC’s white fused alumina business in France.
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26 February 2019
The growth in demand for electric vehicles has pushed Japanese electronics manufacturer Panasonic to investigate investments in battery raw materials, but this will not include the purchase of a mine.
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26 February 2019
The miner's Pilgangoora mine is now operating at 85% capacity.
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26 February 2019
Sepfluor will miss a target for production of the first fluorspar from its Nokeng project in South Africa by the end of February, according to a video published by the company on its website.
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26 February 2019
A strong rand is putting pressure on miners' margins while dollar weakness is "killing business".
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26 February 2019
South African mineral resources minister Gwede Mantashe has called on the mining industry to improve relations with local communities after visiting a mineral sands mine in the Western Cape.
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26 February 2019
The nascent fracking industry in the United Kingdom is facing stringent controls on road traffic and seismic activity, stalling a potential increase in demand for sand.
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26 February 2019
US flat glass sales rebound in 2018, with producers forecasting another positive year in 2019
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26 February 2019
The global seaborne antimony trioxide market has softened week on week because of low demand in China and that country’s wider influence. Domestic prices in Europe have fallen but the US market remained steady.
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26 February 2019
Share prices across lithium producers have been dwindling, although bullish demand from consuming markets continues to drive long-term projections.
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26 February 2019
The agreement covers up to 60% of the miner’s expected output of flake graphite.
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26 February 2019
The scheduled tariff increase on Chinese material coming into the US has been delayed, pending further talks.
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26 February 2019
Alunorte could be subject to higher scrutiny following the dam failure at Vale’s Córrego do Feijão mine.
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26 February 2019
Solvay is improving plant efficiency to add 500,000 tpy to its soda ash capacity across four sites, amid market tightness, but cannot foresee a good enough return on investment at a greenfield site until “fair” pricing has been achieved.
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25 February 2019
Heavy mineral sand output from Base Resources’ Kenyan mine was maintained by an increase in the volume of ore mined, plus a draw-down of stocks to compensate for lower ore grades.
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25 February 2019
Flat steel consumption fared worst out of the ferrous products year on year.
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22 February 2019
The iodine spot market continued to weaken week on week, with the range narrowing downward in what could be a market correction.
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22 February 2019
Fastmarkets proposes new dead burned magnesia price.
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22 February 2019
Fastmarkets IM has begun a consultation on its proposal to refine the specifications of its European fused magnesia price.
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22 February 2019
Three newly launched frac sand prices show emerging optimism among miners of the proppant.
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22 February 2019
Production of soda ash has been steadily returning to the Chinese market, and this has resulted in the export price for the material softening in this week’s assessment.
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22 February 2019
The domestic Chinese battery-grade lithium hydroxide spot price fell by more than 3% in the week to Thursday February 21 although the carbonate assessment held firm – a pattern that was reversed in the seaborne market, where the carbonate price dropped week on week and the hydroxide price was steady.
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22 February 2019
A newly signed agreement means that trader Traxys will market 200 tonnes per year of flake graphite for Canadian producer Nouveau Monde, increasing to 25,000 tpy in the following five years, as the miner ramps up from demonstration phase to full commercial production.
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22 February 2019
The collaboration between MineHub and IBM will improve logistics for bulk and trucked minerals, with air and container freight targeted as the next venture.
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21 February 2019
Demand for iodine is growing 3-5% every year according to the chief executive officer of North American producer Iofina.
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21 February 2019
Canada’s North American Lithium has halted lithium spodumene production temporarily because of the fall of $200 per tonne in prices for the commodity in the Chinese market over the second half of 2018.
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21 February 2019
The miner says it has been hit by lower quality ore and rising power costs.
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21 February 2019
Weak sentiment was blamed for the lower output in the domestic market.
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20 February 2019
The European and US antimony trioxide markets showed minimal price adjustments this week while prices in the rest of the world remained unchanged.
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20 February 2019
China’s output and sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) has stayed on an uptrend in early 2019. China’s lithium prices were steady in a quiet market, however, with most major buyers taking a watchful attitude to the market.
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20 February 2019
Low-grade ore and unplanned maintenance problems harmed production in the second and third quarters of 2018, but Ciner Resources produced a record amount of soda ash in the October-December quarter.
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20 February 2019
Titanium dioxide sales were hit by destocking in Europe and China, tipping Venator’s October-December earnings into a $69 million loss.
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19 February 2019
Three European producers of hydrofluoric acid (HF) have reported successful tests of material from Canada Fluorspar, with the size of the test parcel indicating that the company is operating at a rate of 30%.
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19 February 2019
Brine dilution due to rainfall kept production at Orocobre’s Olaroz lithium facility similar year on year, although ramp-ups continue at the Argentine site.
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19 February 2019
Producer Livent has announced its intention to resume the lithium carbonate contract arbitration process with miner Nemaska that was started in July 2018.
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19 February 2019
Problems with the refractory lining will take several weeks to resolve, part-owner Tri-Star Resources said, pushing back the start-up date at the Sohar-based project again.
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19 February 2019
Crude steel production in Argentina rose by 7.88% year on year in January 2019, according to figures released by national steel association Acero Argentino on Monday February 18.
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18 February 2019
Ahead of Fastmarkets’ Battery Materials 2019 conference in Shanghai, our lithium reporters talk about the hottest topics in the lithium industry in China and the Asian market.
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18 February 2019
The low end of the spot price range for iodine has fallen for the third time in a month, with Japanese producers reporting low sales prices.
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18 February 2019
Image Resources completed a ramp-up project at the Bonnanarring mineral sands project after two months rather than the originally anticipated six.
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18 February 2019
The number of new passenger car registrations in the EU decreased by 4.62% year-on-year in January 2019, making it the fifth consecutive month of decline, the European Automotive Manufacturers Assn (ACEA) said on Friday February 15.
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18 February 2019
The company, which sees volatile market conditions continuing this year, will focus on cash generation and cost control to reduce business risk.
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15 February 2019
Lower sales of titanium dioxide and rising feedstock prices are squeezing profits for US-based producer Chemours.
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15 February 2019
Fastmarkets IM is opening a market consultation to seek feedback on its proposal to discontinue one fluorspar price.
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15 February 2019
Nemaska Lithium will require an additional C$375 million to cover the installation and indirect costs of a new lithium mine and processing plant in Quebec.
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15 February 2019
Every year the fluorspar market queries what the supply situation in China will look like after the Lunar New Year, and 2019 is no different. Two sources have reported offers and sales of good volumes of material, indicating that supplies are available.
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15 February 2019
China’s domestic lithium spot market showed limited buying activity with prices unchanged in the first week after the Lunar New Year holiday, while transportation of lithium compounds has resumed and more market participants are due to return after the Lantern Festival next week.
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15 February 2019
Finished steel shipments in January are higher both annually and since December.
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14 February 2019
The chief executive of VV Minerals tells Fastmarkets that restrictions on private exports of mineral sands will be bad for production.
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13 February 2019
Chinese titanium dioxide producer Lomon Billions has announced price rises affecting all its customers with immediate effect.
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13 February 2019
Lithium producer Livent's revenue and income rose year on year supported by growth in global sales of electric vehicles.
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13 February 2019
China’s magnesia market has showed no changes in the first week after the Lunar New Year, with prices holding at current levels while more market players are yet to return from holiday this week.
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13 February 2019
The nascent fracking industry in the UK is facing stringent controls on road traffic and seismic activity, stalling a potential increase in demand for sand.
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13 February 2019
The outlook for the Brazilian mining industry has become very murky following a major accident in one of Vale’s mines and the consequent increased scrutiny on operations by authorities, according to analysts.
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12 February 2019
A local government in Kenya says that Tata Chemicals has defaulted on payments for land rates for several years, with local media reporting that the resulting dispute could lead to a soda ash facility being closed.
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12 February 2019
Tronox and the US FTC have filed a joint motion to delay the anti-trust approval process while the titanium dioxide producer puts forward INEOS divestment.
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12 February 2019
Tariffs and quotas on steel and aluminium imported from the European Union could continue and even be extended, industry figures said.
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11 February 2019
Gwede Mantashe called on the mining industry to improve community relations during a visit to Mineral Sand Resources after a long-running dispute over an allegedly unauthorized expansion.
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11 February 2019
Aluminium producer UC Rusal’s profits from aluminium sales in the fourth quarter of 2018 were down by 16% year on year because the company was operating under trading sanctions imposed by the United States, according to an earnings statement published on Friday February 8.
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08 February 2019
Iodine derivative prices have lagged behind the latest price increases in iodine itself, which is hitting margins at derivatives producers.
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08 February 2019
Dalmia-OCL hails an increase in its clean refractory capacity after buying German GSB group.
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08 February 2019
Markets saw a second consecutive round of contract price increases for calcined alumina material, but a change in feedstock costs dynamics and availability could soften the market later in the year.
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08 February 2019
US flat glass sales largely rebounded last year and producers are forecasting another positive year for sales in 2019, while soda ash supply tightness continues.
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08 February 2019
Key data from the February 7 pricing session in London.
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07 February 2019
Producer Norsk Hydro's underlying operating profit dropped almost 85% in the fourth quarter due to the effects of its production curtailment at its Brazilian alumina refinery, Alunorte.
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06 February 2019
The recovering rand is putting pressure on margins for South African miners.
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06 February 2019
Honda Motor Co Ltd aims to electrify around two-thirds of the vehicles it produces by 2030, an executive at the Japanese automaker said.
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06 February 2019
Japan’s Panasonic is considering investing in the upstream part of the battery raw materials industry in order to have better oversight of quality, pricing and supply chain responsibility, a company executive said.
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05 February 2019
Sepfluor has set a new target for the start of production of acid-grade fluorspar at Nokeng - after heavy rains slowed construction work of the plant at the end of last year, market sources suggested.
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05 February 2019
Fastmarkets will discontinue its feldspar and silica sand prices, while it expands the sand price offering on existing core markets.
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05 February 2019
Automaker Ford Motor Co has no current plans to take stakes in mining assets or secure direct offtake agreements with mining firms in order to produce batteries for electric vehicles, although it hasn’t ruled it out entirely.
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04 February 2019
Australia has given regulatory approval for Chinese company Ganfeng to purchase Neometals’ stake in the Mount Marion lithium spodumene project.
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04 February 2019
Slowing EU steel demand, global overcapacity and weaker worldwide demand could become a major threat to European steel market stability.
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04 February 2019
Fastmarkets is changing the frequency of its silicon carbide price market assessments to monthly, following a consultation with the market.
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01 February 2019
Titanium dioxide producer Venator is increasing price rises for its North American customers.
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01 February 2019
The newly launched business for specialty alumina, NICHE, will incorporate Gramercy’s alumina hydrate operation and ARC’s white fused alumina business in France; the company does not rule out further acquisitions in future.
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01 February 2019
To better reflect the growing frac sand market in the United States, Fastmarkets is adding three new Northern White Sand price assessments to track the finer mesh sizes now being used in the fracking industry.
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01 February 2019
Industrial Minerals is launching three Northern white sand frac prices as of today.
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01 February 2019
Fastmarkets IM is making amendments to the specifications of five of its fluorspar prices.
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01 February 2019
Fastmarkets is reducing the frequency of market assessments of magnesia after market consultation