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Thursday, April 30
Daily
Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing(8:00 AM CST is 1PM in London)
Three month nickel closed Wednesday's trading session at
$6.12/lb
. Indicators
at 7:00 am CST today show 3 month nickel trading around $.15/lb
higher, with other
London treaded base metals trading higher as well. Stockpiles of nickel stored
in LME approved warehouses rose to its fifth consecutive all time record
high on Wednesday and now total 444,756 tonnes. And yet again, the media
claims 'supply concerns' account for the sudden rise in nickel prices. And
maybe, just maybe, this incessant whine that the world is starting to
use more nickel than it produces will come true, but that hasn't proven true
yet since Chicken Little started proclaiming it over a year ago. But hey,
even a stopped clock gets it right eventually. The London Metal Exchange
is closed on Monday for Early Bank Holiday, and China markets are closed
tomorrow for May Day celebrations. Ahead of a long weekend for most, we are
seeing traders playing the short term trend and betting prices will be higher
when they return from their break. We will see if their gamble pays off.
Look to $6.44/lb for strong resistance.
Average price of cash nickel so far this month - $5.77/lb
Average price of LME traded nickel in 2014 - $7.65/lb / 2013 - $6.80/lb /
avg 2012 - $7.95/lb /
(USGS) Metal Prices in the United States Through 2010 -
pdf
here
(SSY) Daily crude steel output at China Iron and Steel Association member
mills rose to its highest level since late February at 1.72 Mt in the period
11-20 April, according to data from the industry association reported by
SteelFirst. This is up from 1.70 Mt/day in the preceding ten days but compares
to 1.75 Mt/day for the same period in 2014.
Stainless steel business remains sluggish - Global: In line with a softer
nickel market over recent weeks, 304 stainless steel scrap prices have slid
from US$ 1340-1390 per tonne in late March to US$ 1280-1330 a month later
while 316 values have suffered under the influence of molybdenum weakness
and have dropped over the same time period from US$ 1800-1850 to US$ 1700-1750.
-
more
Indonesia
nickel smelters to see slow growth -Macquarie - Indonesia's ban on nickel
ore exports is stimulating investment in processing plants, but this will
be a slow process over the next decade, a senior analyst told a conference
on Wednesday. -
more
China's
molybdenum mining tax reform on May 1 unlikely to spur surge in exports -
China's molybdenum producers are unlikely to immediately flock back to the
export market next month following the roll-out of a new tax regime on May
1, as domestic prices are still higher than international levels, market
sources said Wednesday. -
more
New
Caledonia President Accused Of Lying About Mine Debt - There has been a sharp
rebuke for New Caledonia's president, Philippe Germain, from his predecessor
over alleged concessions for the SMSP mining company, which belongs to the
mainly Kanak northern province. -
more
World’s top nickel producer can’t mine enough to satisfy China
- The Philippines might fail to satisfy China’s nickel ore demand, which
could push up refined metal prices more than 15% -
more
Nickel
miner First Quantum Minerals slashes jobs in Ravensthorpe - A nickel mining
company in Western Australia's south has laid off 31 workers in response
to the low price for the mineral. -
more
Vale Earnings
Fall to Six-Year Low as China Steel Boom Fades - Vale SA earnings excluding
items slumped to the lowest since 2009, in line with estimates, as the
world’s largest iron-ore producer faces shrinking Chinese steel demand.
-
more
Vale's
Production Volumes of Mn Ore, FA, Ni and Co in Jan-Mar = When compared with
year-earlier period, Mn ore, Ni and Co are up and FA is down = On April 22,
Vale S. A., a major resource company in Brazil announced its production volumes
of manganese ore, ferroalloys, nickel and cobalt in the period from January
to March in 2015. -
more
Morning Nickel
Price Statistics & Figures
Today's almost official prices
here / Yesterday's actual
LME official prices
here
or
here
Shanghai Jinchuan nickel price - available
here
or
here(updated)
Please let us know if any of these links stop working, stop carrying
info, or become available to subscriber's only. We encourage our readers
to use the services of those companies who supply news and information free
of charge.Contact
us
Wednesday, April 29
Daily
Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing(8:00 AM CST is 1PM in London)
Three month nickel closed Tuesday's trading session at
$6.09/lb. Indicators
at 6:30 am CST today show 3 month nickel trading around $.04/lb
lower, with other
London traded base metals trading mostly lower as well. Stockpiles of nickel
stored in LME approved warehouses continue to set records now on a daily
basis, and today's new record high is 443,670 tonnes. That's 4 record highs
on two weeks of nearly solid gains. It would be interesting to know what
happened mid month, because since the 15th, not only have the stockpiles
grown at a near consistent rate, but by large daily gains, capped by yesterday's
6,408 one day gain. Look for the bulls to put up a fight to hold onto the
$6/lb level now that they have taken nickel over that mark. But with recent
gains in nickel stockpiles, those gains are tenuous.
Average price of cash nickel so far this month - $5.76/lb
Average price of LME traded nickel in 2014 - $7.65/lb / 2013 - $6.80/lb /
avg 2012 - $7.95/lb /
(USGS) Metal Prices in the United States Through 2010 -
pdf
here
(Tweet) Credit Suisse sees nickel going to about $7.25/lb later this year,
assuming a price that keeps “high-grade NPI in production.
Hold
the nickel price elation - There’s been some salivation over the spot
nickel price lately. It’s beaten to smithereens, down from around $9/lb
a year ago to well under $6/lb in recent weeks. -
more
Sherritt
revenue boosted by Ambatovy nickel output - Canadian miner Sherritt International
Corp reported an 11 percent rise in quarterly revenue as it ramped up nickel
production at its flagship mine in Madagascar and boosted output in Cuba.
-
more
New
Caledonia row over mine debt relief - There has been a sharp rebuke for New
Caledonia's president, Philippe Germain, from his predecessor over alleged
concessions for the SMSP mining company, which belongs to the mainly Kanak
northern province. -
more
Jobs
set to go at FQM's Ravensthorpe nickel mine - Workers are set to lose their
jobs as early as Friday at Ravensthorpe nickel miner, First Quantum Minerals.
-
more
A Year’s Extraction of Metal Shown Next to Landmarks and Cities - For
thousands of years of development as a species, humans never really needed
to understand the real meaning behind big, unreachable numbers such as billions
or trillions. -
more
Nickel
Asia ventures into RE to boost income - Nickel Asia Corp.’s venture
into the renewable power business will generate a stream of steady income
for the company amid the volatile prices of minerals, according to a market
analyst. -
more
Morning Nickel
Price Statistics & Figures
Today's almost official prices
here / Yesterday's actual
LME official prices
here
or
here
Shanghai Jinchuan nickel price - available
here
or
here(updated)
Please let us know if any of these links stop working, stop carrying
info, or become available to subscriber's only. We encourage our readers
to use the services of those companies who supply news and information free
of charge.Contact
us
Tuesday, April 28
Daily
Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing(8:00 AM CST is 1PM in London)
Three month nickel closed Monday's trading session at
$6.11/lb
. Indicators
at 6:40 am CST today show 3 month nickel trading around $.04/lb
lower, with other
London traded base metals trading mostly lower as well. Stockpiles of nickel
stored in LME licensed warehouses rose for a sixth consecutive session and
set a new all time record high. Yesterday's gains was a staggering 6,408
tonnes, setting a new all time record high of 442,950 tonnes. In a few days,
we have gone from possibly seeing the first month where stockpiles actually
fell, to possibly seeing the largest one month gain so far this year. If
this news isn't pessimistic enough for market bulls, news from Columbia
tells us the strike at Cerro Matoso may end soon. More nickel coming soon.
Average price of cash nickel so far this month - $5.74/lb
Average price of LME traded nickel in 2014 - $7.65/lb / 2013 - $6.80/lb /
avg 2012 - $7.95/lb /
(USGS) Metal Prices in the United States Through 2010 -
pdf
here
Tropical Pacific approaches El Niño thresholds -
more
Stainless
Steel Production Reaches 41.7 Million Metric Tons in 2014 - The International
Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) has released figures for the full year 2014
showing that stainless steel melt shop production increased by 8.3%
year–on–year to 41.7 million metric tons (mmt). Production increased
in all regions except for Central and Eastern Europe. -
more
BHPB's
Production of Ferroalloys and Nickel in Jan-Mar 2015 - Production of Mn ore
and ferroalloys is up from year-earlier period, but production of Ni and
Mo is down = On April 22, BHP Billiton Limited (BHPB) announced its production
results and sales volumes in the period from January to March in 2015 and
in a period of 9 months in the fiscal year 2015. -
more
PH
2014 metal production value: P137B - The Philippines’ metallic production
value grew by more than a third last year as higher nickel output offset
lower metal prices and the closure of major copper mines during the period,
the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) said. -
more
Indonesia’s FDI Climbs 14% in Q1, Seen Growing Further This Year - Growth
in foreign direct investment (FDI) commitments to Indonesia accelerated in
the first quarter, a welcome sign for President Joko Widodo as he seeks to
cut red tape and restore investors’ confidence in Southeast Asia’s
biggest economy. -
more
SMM Nickel Industry Online Database Available Now – Shanghai Metals
Market (SMM), the leading metals information provider in China, adds China
Nickel Industry Database into SMM Online Database Service, starting on Apr.
28. -
more
The need
for Nickel will grow: Nickel Institute - New applications of nickel will
be in millions of parts and processes, making contributions out of all proportion
to the small amounts used, according to the latest Nickel Institute report.
-
more
Courtesy AISI
- In the week ending April 25, 2015, domestic raw steel production was 1,707,000
net tons while the capability utilization rate was 72.2 percent. Production
was 1,841,000 net tons in the week ending April 25, 2014 while the capability
utilization then was 76.6 percent. The current week production represents
a 7.3 percent decrease from the same period in the previous year. Production
for the week ending April 25, 2015 is up 3.1 percent from the previous week
ending April 18, 2015 when production was 1,655,000 net tons and the rate
of capability utilization was 70.0 percent.
Morning Nickel
Price Statistics & Figures
Today's almost official prices
here / Yesterday's actual
LME official prices
here
or
here
Shanghai Jinchuan nickel price - available
here
or
here(updated)
Please let us know if any of these links stop working, stop carrying
info, or become available to subscriber's only. We encourage our readers
to use the services of those companies who supply news and information free
of charge.Contact
us
Monday, April 27
Daily
Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing(8:00 AM CST is 1PM in London)
Three month nickel closed Friday's trading session at
$6.02/lb. Indicators at
6:35 am CST today show 3 month nickel trading around $.15/lb
higher, with other
London traded base metals trading higher as well. Stockpiles of nickel stored
in LME licensed warehouses rose for a fifth consecutive session and for a
second day in a row, set a new all time record high, today's at 436,542 tonnes.
Shanghai Metals Market reports nickel ore stockpiles at five major Chinese
ports fell 110,000 tonnes last week, and now total 10.65 million tonnes.
Nickel is trading much higher for a second session, helped in part by a weaker
US Dollar. You have to wonder about the markets reasoning sometime.
It trades lower for a month, but suddenly, on the same two days when the
market returns to setting new record highs in stockpiles after a month hiatus,
traders decide its time to gamble and drive prices higher. Maybe the bulls
are trying to wake up their colleagues, or catch the shorts sleeping. Either
way, nickel has broken thru initial support, and now has $6.44/lb as its
next barrier to breech. And for the record, if Chinese stockpiles were continue
to fall at the pace they did last week, China would hold another 96 weeks
worth of nickel ore and might in fact run out in April as SMM forecast earlier,
just not until 2017.
Average price of cash nickel so far this month - $5.72/lb
Average price of LME traded nickel in 2014 - $7.65/lb / 2013 - $6.80/lb /
avg 2012 - $7.95/lb /
(USGS) Metal Prices in the United States Through 2010 -
pdf
here
(MF) Baosteel Stainless lowers domestic stainless steel prices for May
(Platts) China's imports of nickel ores, concentrates in March fall 24.3%
on year to 1.73 mil mt, according to customs data.
Philippine
mining regulator cautious on nickel prices - The Philippines' mining industry
regulator said on Monday two new nickel mines would help boost production
of the country's top metal export this year, but prices may remain weak amid
tepid demand from top consumer China. -
more
Philippines
replaces Indonesia to be China’s top nickel trader - The Philippines
has replaced Indonesia as the biggest nickel ore exporter to China in 2015,
as the result of an export ban on unprocessed nickel ore imposed in Indonesia.
-
more
LME moves
to cut warehouse queues faster - New measures to increase the amount of metal
withdrawn from warehouses, relative to material brought in, will help to
reduce queues faster at London Metal Exchange (LME) registered warehouses,
the exchange said on Monday. -
more
Why Nickel
is Your Best Bet for Resource Gains This Year - A huge event is playing out
in the commodities markets right now. Most people don’t know about it.
-
more
Morning Nickel
Price Statistics & Figures
Today's almost official prices
here / Yesterday's actual
LME official prices
here
or
here
Shanghai Jinchuan nickel price - available
here
or
here(updated)
Please let us know if any of these links stop working, stop carrying
info, or become available to subscriber's only. We encourage our readers
to use the services of those companies who supply news and information free
of charge.Contact
us
Thursday, April 23
Daily
Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing(8:00 AM CST is 1PM in London)
Three month nickel closed Wednesday's trading session at
$5.74/lb
. Indicators
at 7:00 am CST today show 3 month nickel trading around $.02/lb
lower, with other
London traded base metals trading mostly lower, but for a third day, very
quietly. Stockpiles of nickel stored in LME approved warehouses rose on Wednesday
and now total just over the 434,700 tonne level. Market is quiet today, with
HSBC Flash PMI numbers from China disappointing. We will be traveling tomorrow,
so this will be our last update for the week. Have a safe and relaxing weekend.
Average price of cash nickel so far this month - $5.71/lb
Average price of LME traded nickel in 2014 - $7.65/lb / 2013 - $6.80/lb /
avg 2012 - $7.95/lb /
(USGS) Metal Prices in the United States Through 2010 -
pdf
here
China April flash HSBC PMI contracts to one-year low -
more
Foreign NPI
Arrivals Not to Impact China Market, SMM Interviews at SMM Nickel Summit
- The arrivals of NPI shipments from Indonesia are not expected to place
a big impact on China’s NPI market, according to Shanghai Metals
Market’s interview at SMM Nickel Summit. -
more
Vale Posts
Best Performance in Iron Ore and Nickel Output in 2015 1Q - Vale S.A. reported
a strong operational performance in iron ore and nickel during the first
quarter of 2015, according to its latest performance report in an e-mail
to SMM. -
more
Anglo
American Iron Ore Production Rises, Guidance Reiterated - Anglo American
PLC Thursday reported a rise in iron ore, platinum and diamond production
in the first quarter and reiterated its full-year guidance across all of
its segments bar diamonds, despite copper and nickel production falling and
coal giving mixed results. -
more
Morning Nickel
Price Statistics & Figures
Today's almost official prices
here / Yesterday's actual
LME official prices
here
or
here
Shanghai Jinchuan nickel price - available
here
or
here(updated)
Please let us know if any of these links stop working, stop carrying
info, or become available to subscriber's only. We encourage our readers
to use the services of those companies who supply news and information free
of charge.Contact
us
Wednesday, April 22
Daily
Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing(8:00 AM CST is 1PM in London)
Three month nickel closed Tuesday's trading session at
$5.76/lb. Indicators
at 6:30 am CST today show 3 month nickel trading around $.01/lb
lower, with other
London traded base metals trading quietly mixed. Stockpiles of nickel stored
in LME approved warehouses rose on Tuesday and now totals just shy of the
434,400 tonne level. With a little over a week to go till the end of April,
we could potentially see the first month where we have not seen a new record
high in LME nickel stockpiles since May of 2014. SMM is predicting nickel
prices will rise in the second half of 2015. And the World Steel Association
is reporting global steel production is down this year.
Average price of cash nickel so far this month - $5.71/lb
Average price of LME traded nickel in 2014 - $7.65/lb / 2013 - $6.80/lb /
avg 2012 - $7.95/lb /
(USGS) Metal Prices in the United States Through 2010 -
pdf
here
(ET) Global demand for nickel is expected to increase to 1.94 million tonnes
in 2015 versus 1.87 million in 2014, the International Nickel Study Group
(INSG) said on Wednesday. At the same time, global output of nickel is expected
to shrink to 1.96 million tonnes in 2015 versus 1.99 million in 2014, the
Lisbon-based group said.
(SSY) Crude steel production for the 65 countries reporting to the World
Steel Association contracted by -2.7% year-on-year in March to 138.0 Mt.
March 2015
crude steel production - World crude steel production for the 65 countries
reporting to the World Steel Association (worldsteel) was 138 million tonnes
(Mt) in March 2015, a -2.7% decrease compared to March 2014. -
more
China Nickel
Imports and Exports Data March 2015 - The General Administration of China
Customs released data of China's March imports and exports of nickel on April.22
(Unit: mt) -
more
Nickel
miner reaping benefits of iron ore downturn in Western Australia - A slowdown
in Western Australia's iron ore sector is having flow-on benefits for rest
of the state's resources industry. -
more
Nickel: The
Outperformer And Top Pick For 2015 - From today's perspective, Voisey's Bay
wasn't really a great nickel discovery, but still one of the world's biggest.
-
more
Over 240 mining
and energy projects waiting for investors in Cuba - Cuba, the world’s
sixth largest nickel producers and one of the top 10 nickel mining countries,
is experiencing a sudden, but still modest, investment rush triggered by
an ongoing reconciliation between the Caribbean nation and the U.S. -
more
Morning Nickel
Price Statistics & Figures
Today's almost official prices
here / Yesterday's actual
LME official prices
here
or
here
Shanghai Jinchuan nickel price - available
here
or
here(updated)
Please let us know if any of these links stop working, stop carrying
info, or become available to subscriber's only. We encourage our readers
to use the services of those companies who supply news and information free
of charge.Contact
us
Tuesday, April 21
Daily
Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing(8:00 AM CST is 1PM in London)
Three month nickel closed Monday's trading session at
$5.80/lb. Indicators at
6:10 am CST today show 3 month nickel trading around $.03/lb
lower, with other
London traded base metals trading mixed and quietly. Stockpiles of nickel
stored in LME approved warehouses rose on Monday and now total just under
the 434,000 tonne level. Nickel finally played catchup with world equity
markets late yesterday afternoon, closing higher and is for the most part,
holding its own today. And in light of a weaker Euro and news from worldsteel
that they forecast Chinese nickel demand to be down for the next few years,
is somewhat surprising. We will see if it holds.
Average price of cash nickel so far this month - $5.71/lb
Average price of LME traded nickel in 2014 - $7.65/lb / 2013 - $6.80/lb /
avg 2012 - $7.95/lb /
(USGS) Metal Prices in the United States Through 2010 -
pdf
here
worldsteel
Short Range Outlook 2015 - 2016 - The World Steel Association (worldsteel)
today released its Short Range Outlook (SRO) for 2015 and 2016. worldsteel
forecasts that global apparent steel use will increase by 0.5% to 1,544 Mt
in 2015 following growth of 0.6% in 2014. In 2016, it is forecast that world
steel demand will grow by 1.4% and will reach 1,565 Mt -
more
Steel Demand
in China Dropping Through ’16 as Growth Slows - Steel demand in China
will shrink this year and next to extend the first annual contraction since
1995 as economic growth in the world’s biggest producer slows, according
to the World Steel Association. -
more
White
Cliff Minerals finds massive nickel sulphide targets - White Cliff Minerals'
exploration for large nickel discoveries just took on new meaning as three
massive nickel sulphide targets were identified at its Merolia Nickel Project,
35 kilometres from the Windarra nickel mine. -
more
BHP's
baby looks well groomed for a trade sale - For those of you who follow the
iron ore industry – the one that mainly emanates from Australia –
you might be resiling a little at the constant bickering between the big
and middle players in the industry – the big boys such as Rio and BHP
oversupplying in a weak market to maintain market share, the smaller players
crying out for mercy as their businesses become ever less sustainable through
a 50% drop in the commodity’s price over the past six months. -
more
Courtesy AISI
- In the week ending April 18, 2015, domestic raw steel production was 1,655,000
net tons while the capability utilization rate was 70.0 percent. Production
was 1,841,000 net tons in the week ending April 18, 2014 while the capability
utilization then was 76.6 percent. The current week production represents
a 10.1 percent decrease from the same period in the previous year. Production
for the week ending April 18, 2015 is up 2.1 percent from the previous week
ending April 11, 2015 when production was 1,621,000 net tons and the rate
of capability utilization was 68.6 percent.
Morning Nickel
Price Statistics & Figures
Today's almost official prices
here / Yesterday's actual
LME official prices
here
or
here
Shanghai Jinchuan nickel price - available
here
or
here(updated)
Please let us know if any of these links stop working, stop carrying
info, or become available to subscriber's only. We encourage our readers
to use the services of those companies who supply news and information free
of charge.Contact
us
Monday, April 20
Daily
Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing(8:00 AM CST is 1PM in London)
Three month nickel closed Friday's trading session at
$5.71/lb. Indicators
at 6:30 am CST today show 3 month nickel trading around $.08/lb
lower, with other
London traded base metals trading mixed. Stockpiles of nickel stored in LME
licensed warehouses fell slightly on Friday and began the week just under
the 433,750 tonne level. Shanghai Metals Market reports nickel ore stocks
held at five major Chinese ports fell by 192,000 tonnes last week, to total
10.76 million tonnes. That is about 2/3 the level we saw last November, but
a far cry from running out like SMM forecast it would in April. China took
measures overnight to boost its economy, but so far the reaction in China
has been skeptical ,with equity markets there seeing a large correction.
Markets in Europe and futures in the US show a little more positive reaction,
especially in light of their own large sell-off's witnessed last Friday.
Nickel fell hard on Friday afternoon as well, but is showing no signs
of recovery yet.
Average price of cash nickel so far this month - $5.72/lb
Average price of LME traded nickel in 2014 - $7.65/lb / 2013 - $6.80/lb /
avg 2012 - $7.95/lb /
(USGS) Metal Prices in the United States Through 2010 -
pdf
here
(SMM) Nickel prices are expected to see its 2015’s highs in July and
August, Shanghai Metals Market expects. “The nickel picture is not rosy,
and LME nickel prices will range $11,500-16,000 per tonne for the whole
year,” SMM’s nickel analyst said ....
(SMM) Tsingshan Group put its phase 1 project in Indonesia, including 300,000-tpy
NPI project and two 65 MW power stations, into operation in April. The first
shipment from the project, carrying 22,000 tonnes of NPI, arrived in China
in early April.
Hong Kong, mainland China shares hit by sell-offs despite policy easing -
more
Philippines
likely to ban export of nickel ore, says consultancy - To take full advantage
of its booming nickel production, there is internal pressure on the Philippines
to encourage local beneficiation and ban the export of ore, says mining
consultancy firm Core Consultants MD Lara Smith. -
more
FNI
unit sees another banner year for nickel ore exports - Global Ferronickel
Holdings Inc. said its unit, Platinum Group Metals Corp. (PGMC), is expecting
another record year for its nickel ore exports after kicking off its 2015
operations early. -
more
Miner expects nickel exports to reach record levels after orders arrive earlier
-
more
TNMC found
guilty of worker’s fatal death - The Chief magistrate here, Gaedupe
Makgatho has ruled that Tati Nickel Mining Company was negligent in the accident
that claimed the life of Ntsesang Raditsebe, 30, on its premises. -
more
Russian
Nickel May Become Deliverable Brand in Shanghai Futures Exchange – Russian
nickel will likely become deliverable brand in Shanghai Futures Exchange,
an official from the Exchange said. -
more
Morning Nickel
Price Statistics & Figures
Today's almost official prices
here / Yesterday's actual
LME official prices
here
or
here
Shanghai Jinchuan nickel price - available
here
or
here(updated)
Please let us know if any of these links stop working, stop carrying
info, or become available to subscriber's only. We encourage our readers
to use the services of those companies who supply news and information free
of charge.Contact
us
Friday, April 17
Daily
Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing(8:00 AM CST is 1PM in London)
Three month nickel closed Thursday's trading session at
$5.80/lb. Indicators at
6:30 am CST today show 3 month nickel trading around $.01/lb
lower, with other
London traded base metals trading quietly and mixed. Stockpiles of nickel
stored in LME approved warehouses rose on Thursday and now total just over
the 433,750 tonne level. Nickel rose for the week, but so far, remains below
the $13,000/tonne level where it spent the latter half of March. The
International Nickel Study Group is reporting nickel supply/demand numbers
are not meeting expectations and March surplus numbers were the highest recorded
since December 2013, the month before Indonesia cut off exports of unprocessed
ore. Labor difficulties at nickel operations in Madagascar and Columbia helped
give nickel some support, with speculation China will be forced to take further
measures to stimulate its economy also helping. Have a safe and relaxing
weekend and if you are in the US, go visit a National Park - it's free this
weekend.
Average price of cash nickel so far this month - $5.71/lb
Average price of LME traded nickel in 2014 - $7.65/lb / 2013 - $6.80/lb /
avg 2012 - $7.95/lb /
(USGS) Metal Prices in the United States Through 2010 -
pdf
here
(Reuters) The global nickel surplus jumped to 20,300 tonnes in February from
6,400 tonnes a year ago, the International Nickel Study Group said on Thursday.
The February figure was also above January's 4,700 tonne surplus and was
the highest monthly surplus since December 2013.
Japan
ferrochrome: Falling prices attract bargain hunters - Japanese spot high-carbon
ferrochrome import prices fell this week on dull demand, leading to a pick-up
in spot demand among bargain hunters. -
more
Nickel
miner TVI may delay Philippine IPO due to weak metal prices - TVI Resources
Development Phils. Inc, a Philippine nickel miner partly owned by Canada's
TVI Pacific Inc, may push back a planned initial public offering to next
year if metal prices remain depressed, its chairman said on Friday. -
more
Zimbabwe:
Bnc Nickel Sales Jump 49 Percent - Mwana Africa says sales of nickel in
concentrate at Bindura Nickel Corporation rose by 49 percent to 2 072 tonnes
in the fourth quarter as refurbished equipment was brought back into operation.
-
more
BHP Billiton
plc Is Facing An Unprecedented Number Of Problems! - BHP Billiton will be
glad to see the back of 2015. Indeed, even though we’re barely four
months into the year, the company has already been hit by a wave of bad news
and things could get a lot worse. -
more
Morning Nickel
Price Statistics & Figures
Today's almost official prices
here / Yesterday's actual
LME official prices
here
or
here
Shanghai Jinchuan nickel price - available
here
or
here(updated)
Please let us know if any of these links stop working, stop carrying
info, or become available to subscriber's only. We encourage our readers
to use the services of those companies who supply news and information free
of charge.Contact
us
Thursday, April 16
Daily
Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing(8:00 AM CST is 1PM in London)
Three month nickel closed Wednesday's trading session at
$5.75/lb. Indicators at
6.45 am CST today show 3 month nickel trading around $.07/lb
higher, with other
London traded base metals trading higher as well. Stockpiles of nickel took
a big bounce on Wednesday and now total just shy of the 433,150 tonne level.
With multiple strikes happening in Columbia nd Madagascar, you would think
nickel might be finding some enthusiastic support, but in reality, its increase
percentile in morning trading, is lagging behind most London traded base
metals. There is speculation that China's GDP readings yesterday could force
officials there to add stimulus measures to keep their people employed, and
infrastructure investments could be targeted.
Average price of cash nickel so far this month - $5.69/lb
Average price of LME traded nickel in 2014 - $7.65/lb / 2013 - $6.80/lb /
avg 2012 - $7.95/lb /
(USGS) Metal Prices in the United States Through 2010 -
pdf
here
(MSCI) In March 2015, U.S. service center steel shipments decreased a tenth
of a percent from March 2014. Steel product inventories increased 15.6% over
March a year ago.
China finds 1.99 million mt new copper reserves in 2014: CGS -
more
Japan bumps China as top holder of US Treasury debt -
more
Canada's
Sherritt confirms strike at Madagascar plant - Diversified Canadian miner
Sherritt International Corp said on Wednesday that some employees went on
strike from Monday at its Ambatovy processing plant near Toamasina, Madagascar.
-
more
Will Rising
Momentum in Nickel Market Continue after Two-day Gains? SMM Interview –
The July contract in Shanghai Futures Exchange ended up 1.52% at 95,400 yuan
per tonne on Apr. 16. -
more
China's March
crude steel output rises 12% on month to 69.48 mil mt - China produced 69.48
million mt of crude steel in March, up by 12% from February's 61.95 million
mt, but down 1% from the same month last year, data released Wednesday, April
15, by the National Bureau of Statistics showed. -
more
Shanghai
Pan Pacific to Invest to Build First Pacific Nickel Industrial Park in Indonesia
- Shanghai Pan Pacific Group will lead to invest $2 billion to build First
Pacific Nickel Industrial Park in Indonesia, eastday.com reported. -
more
Stock link
brightens LME hopes to push into China - The London Metal Exchange expects
to make its first foray into the lucrative mainland Chinese market in the
next year or so as the stocks through train pries open the world's biggest
commodities market, its chief executive said. -
more
Anti-mining
groups question reinstatement of ECC to mining firm in Mindoro - A unit of
the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines on Wednesday questioned
the government's reinstatement of Intex Resources’ Environmental Compliance
Certificate for its Mindoro Nickel Project. -
more
Mwana
Africa Gold Production And Nickel Sales Up, Diamond Sales Down - Mwana Africa
PLC on Thursday said its gold production and nickel sales both rose in the
final quarter of its financial year, while it made progress on restarting
its Bindura smelter but saw a big drop in diamond sales. -
more
Morning Nickel
Price Statistics & Figures
Today's almost official prices
here / Yesterday's actual
LME official prices
here
or
here
Shanghai Jinchuan nickel price - available
here
or
here(updated)
Please let us know if any of these links stop working, stop carrying
info, or become available to subscriber's only. We encourage our readers
to use the services of those companies who supply news and information free
of charge.Contact
us
Wednesday, April 15
Daily
Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing(8:00 AM CST is 1PM in London)
Three month nickel closed Tuesday's trading session at
$5.73/lb
. Indicators
at 6:30 am CST today show 3 month nickel trading around $.01/lb
lower, with other
London traded base metals trading mostly higher. Stockpiles of nickel stored
in LME approved warehouses rose on Tuesday and started today near the 432,000
tonne level. Nickel is doing very little today, finding some support from
the strike at Cerro Matoso, while losing some from disappointing economic
news out of China. The long term trend remains sideways, with little reason
to believe that will change anytime soon.
Average price of cash nickel so far this month - $5.70/lb
Average price of LME traded nickel in 2014 - $7.65/lb / 2013 - $6.80/lb /
avg 2012 - $7.95/lb /
(USGS) Metal Prices in the United States Through 2010 -
pdf
here
(Reuters) China's crude steel output fell 1.2 percent from a year ago to
69.48 million tonnes in March, government data showed on Wednesday, as softening
demand and tough environmental checks forced mills to cut output. Steelmakers
in the world's top producer of the alloy have warned that production could
come under further pressure and more domestic firms could go under this year
as the industry comes to terms with a massive glut.
China’s slowest quarterly growth in six years raises fears over
nation’s job stability -
more
The Index of Small Business Optimism fell 2.8 points to 95.2, the lowest
reading since June of 2014 -
more
China nickel
prices get boost on worries over exchange-approved supply - The six Chinese
producers approved to supply nickel against the Shanghai Futures Exchange's
new contract for the metal may not be able to provide sufficient output to
fill July deliveries, yielding a bump in prices in the near term in China.
-
more
Material Matters:
Outlook, Copper, Aluminium, Nickel, Iron Ore And Gold - Citi suspects commodities
may be reaching a short-term trough, despite soft markets amidst lacklustre
growth and robust increases in supply. -
more
Nickel
Asia almost doubles Q1 shipments to P2.84B - Nickel Asia Corporation (NAC)
said the estimated value of shipments of its four operating mines almost
doubled to P2.84 billion in the first quarter this year, mainly driven by
higher nickel price. -
more
‘Weak
commodity prices may assail sub-Saharan economic growth’ - A World Bank
report has projected that sub-Saharan Africa will experience a slow growth
of four per cent in 2015 from 4.5 per cent in 2014, due to the weak commodity
prices and fall in oil prices. -
more
City backs
deep mining project in Sudbury - Sudbury's Centre for Excellence in Mining
Innovation is getting a big boost. City council voted unanimously on Tuesday
to invest $200,000 per year for the next five years in CEMI, for its
commercialization attainment project (CAP). -
more
Morning Nickel
Price Statistics & Figures
Today's almost official prices
here / Yesterday's actual
LME official prices
here
or
here
Shanghai Jinchuan nickel price - available
here
or
here(updated)
Please let us know if any of these links stop working, stop carrying
info, or become available to subscriber's only. We encourage our readers
to use the services of those companies who supply news and information free
of charge.Contact
us
Tuesday, April 14
Daily
Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing(8:00 AM CST is 1PM in London)
Three month nickel closed Monday's trading session at
$5.68/lb
. Indicators
at 7:00 am CST today show 3 month nickel trading around $.10/lb
lower, with other
London traded base metals trading lower as well. Stockpiles of nickel stored
in LME approved warehouses rose slightly on Monday and now total just over
the 431,300 tonne level. Nickel looked like it might get a boost from
the Cerro Matoso strike that begins later today, but the rout that began
in yesterday's trading, has apparently not run its course yet. Nickel
is down sharply with support at $5.59/lb looking to potentially be tested.
It is possible the strike could help the support level hold, but with over
431,000 tonnes of nickel sitting in LME warehouses, it would take strikes
at a lot of Cerro Matoso sized mines to stir in enthusiasm in traders. Still,
traders are looking for 'any' news that might give nickel a lift, and an
earlier strike at this mine helped stabilize prices for a time. Short term
trend remains negative, and long term looks to be sideways to slightly negative.
Coupe of the large banks cut their nickel forecasts for 2015 - posted below.
Average price of cash nickel so far this month - $5.72/lb
Average price of LME traded nickel in 2014 - $7.65/lb / 2013 - $6.80/lb /
avg 2012 - $7.95/lb
(USGS) Metal Prices in the United States Through 2010 -
pdf
here
Tropical Pacific Ocean primed for El Niño in 2015 -
more
Zero
hour to strike at Cerro Matoso - The nickel production at Cerro Matoso could
suffer from today, announcing the strike from 3pm workers union so consider
the unilateral imposition of an increase in working hours from 8 to 12 hours
in some functions. -
more (poorly translated) (non translated version
here)
New
Caledonia president wants bigger stake in nickel mining - The president of
the New Caledonian government, Philippe Germain, has proposed talks to boost
the government's stake in the mining company Societe Le Nickel or SLN to
51% of its capital -
more
US Nickel scrap
exports declined in February - The latest statistics released by the US
Department of Commerce (DOC) indicates that the country’s Nickel scrap
exports declined sharply by 23% in February this year when compared with
the previous month. -
more
Norilsk
Sees Nickel in Cars Tripling as Tesla Drives Sales - Nickel demand from the
auto industry is set to rise as much as threefold in five years as output
of electric and hybrid cars gathers pace, according to Russia’s largest
producer of the metal. -
more
‘Mining
at the Crossroads’ - The recent Tempo weekly news magazine’s English
edition focusing on “Mining at the Crossroads” in Indonesia was
extremely timely and very informative.-
more
Courtesy AISI
- In the week ending April 11, 2015, domestic raw steel production was 1,621,000
net tons while the capability utilization rate was 68.6 percent. Production
was 1,841,000 net tons in the week ending April 11, 2014 while the capability
utilization then was 76.6 percent. The current week production represents
a 12.0 percent decrease from the same period in the previous year. Production
for the week ending April 11, 2015 is up 1.3 percent from the previous week
ending April 4, 2015 when production was 1,600,000 net tons and the rate
of capability utilization was 67.7 percent.
Morning Nickel
Price Statistics & Figures
Today's almost official prices
here / Yesterday's actual
LME official prices
here
or
here
Shanghai Jinchuan nickel price - available
here
or
here(updated)
Please let us know if any of these links stop working, stop carrying
info, or become available to subscriber's only. We encourage our readers
to use the services of those companies who supply news and information free
of charge.Contact
us
Monday, April 13
Daily
Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing(8:00 AM CST is 1PM in London)
Three month nickel closed Friday's trading session at
$5.76/lb
. Indicators
at 6:45 am CST today show 3 month nickel trading around $.02/lb
lower, with other
London traded base metals trading mostly lower as well. Stockpiles of nickel
stored in LME approved warehouses fell slightly on Friday and now total just
over the 431,200 tonne level. Shanghai Metals Market reports nickel ore
stockpiles held at five major China ports fell 143,000 tonnes last week to
10.95 million tonnes. Deutsche Bank is announcing its time to start buying
nickel again, while some of their counterparts aren't. We have links to a
few reports and articles on a few more below.
Average price of cash nickel so far this month - $5.72/lb
Average price of LME traded nickel in 2014 - $7.65/lb / 2013 - $6.80/lb /
avg 2012 - $7.95/lb /
(USGS) Metal Prices in the United States Through 2010 -
pdf
here
Deutsche Bank:
It's perfect time to buy Nickel - The capitulation on nickel is understandable.
Weak stainless steel demand compounded by destocking in a traditional restocking
period, combined with growing uncertainty over Philippine ore exports have
undermined the bull case. -
more
Citigroup
Cuts Metals to Iron Forecasts as China Growth Slows - Citigroup Inc. cut
price forecasts for industrial metals and iron ore by as much as 50 percent
amid signs Chinese demand is waning as economic growth in the world’s
biggest consumer slows. -
more
China
commodities imports resume after holiday but demand weak - China's commodities
imports generally rose in March on a month earlier as shipments resumed after
the Lunar New Year holiday, but analysts pointed to still weak demand for
goods ranging from iron ore to coal and soybeans. -
more
April Ni
SUS Scrap Purchase Starts with Price Cut of JPY5,000/10,000 = Ni price is
down, and some mills will cut price further by JPY5,000 this week = The
mainstream price for April purchase of nickel-containing stainless steel
scrap (SABOT) by Japanese Stainless Steel mills is JPY150,000 - JPY155,000
per ton (delivered at factory) which represents a decrease of JPY5,000 -
JPY10,000 versus early March. -
more
New association
to cut Beijing steel industry smog - Steel companies, research centers and
environmental groups in Beijing and its surrounding area have formed a new
association to control air pollution. -
more
Tinkler
to advise junior nickel miner - Former mining magnate Nathan Tinkler has
picked up a job as an advisor to nickel explorer Rumble Resources as he steps
up his return to the resources sector. -
more
How Carbon Emissions Reductions Will Alter Supply Chains - Although the world
is moving closer to an international agreement on climate policy, any deal
will likely run into the same problems previous iterations have: enforcing
binding legislation. -
more
Morning Nickel
Price Statistics & Figures
Today's almost official prices
here / Yesterday's actual
LME official prices
here
or
here
Shanghai Jinchuan nickel price - available
here
or
here(updated)
Please let us know if any of these links stop working, stop carrying
info, or become available to subscriber's only. We encourage our readers
to use the services of those companies who supply news and information free
of charge.Contact
us
Friday, April 10
Daily
Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing(8:00 AM CST is 1PM in London)
Three month nickel closed Thursday's trading session at
$5.68/lb. Indicators
at 7:00 am CST today show 3 month nickel trading around $.10/lb
higher, with other
London traded base metals trading higher as well. Stockpiles of nickel stored
in LME approved warehouses rose slightly on Thursday and now total just under
the 431,300 tonne level. Even with the Euro trading at a three week low against
the US Dollar, base metals are rallying this morning. It's been another quiet
week on the nickel and stainless steel fundamental watch and as one analyst
stated - "we are stuck in no man's land". What will next week bring? Stay
tuned. Have a safe and relaxing weekend.
Average price of cash nickel so far this month - $5.72/lb
Average price of LME traded nickel in 2014 - $7.65/lb / 2013 - $6.80/lb /
avg 2012 - $7.95/lb /
(USGS) Metal Prices in the United States Through 2010 -
pdf
here
Hong Kong’s Noble Group slams Muddy Waters report as inaccurate -
more
Japan
ferrochrome: India's export rebate, nickel prices deter trade - Spot trade
in high-carbon ferrochrome in Japan was thin this week, deterred by changes
in India's export rebate rate and a fall in nickel prices, market sources
said Friday, April 10. -
more
Forecast
on Demand for Special Steel During April to June 2015 = Down from both prior
period and year-earlier period, and both domestic and foreign demands are
weak = The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry made clear its forecast
on the demand for special steel products during April to June in 2015 in
its lecture made in the meeting held by Special Steel Association of Japan.
-
more
Nickel
Asia in expansion mode despite weak metal prices - Nickel Asia Corp, the
Philippines' top nickel ore producer and exporter, said on Friday it will
acquire stakes in two smaller miners to expand its resource base by 24 percent,
keeping an upbeat view on global demand despite falling prices. -
more
Morning Nickel
Price Statistics & Figures
Today's almost official prices
here / Yesterday's actual
LME official prices
here
or
here
Shanghai Jinchuan nickel price - available
here
or
here(updated)
Please let us know if any of these links stop working, stop carrying
info, or become available to subscriber's only. We encourage our readers
to use the services of those companies who supply news and information free
of charge.Contact
us
Thursday, April 9
Daily
Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing(8:00 AM CST is 1PM in London)
Three month nickel closed Wednesday's trading session at
$5.69/lb. Indicators
at 6:50 am CST today show 3 month nickel trading around $.01/lb
higher, with other
London traded base metals trading mixed and quiet as well. Stockpiles of
nickel stored in LME approved warehouses fell on Wednesday and now total
just over the 431,150 tonne level. LME inventory levels remain above where
they were at the start of March, but just barely. While Greece making debt
payments is getting attention for its effect on the Euro, eyes are on China
for signs of recovery in stainless steel demand.
Average price of cash nickel so far this month - $5.73/lb
Average price of LME traded nickel in 2014 - $7.65/lb / 2013 - $6.80/lb /
avg 2012 - $7.95/lb /
(USGS) Metal Prices in the United States Through 2010 -
pdf
here
China's iron ore tax cut puts heat on Australian miners -
more
Marex Spectron's
Market Analytics team detects reasons for optimism in Nickel.- Guy Wolf,
Global Head of Market Analytics at Marex Spectron, said: "It would take a
brave man to call the lows in Nickel whilst warehouse stocks continue to
climb, but we have possibly seen the first minor piece of evidence that we
may be close to the floor. -
more
Import of
SUS Products in February 2015 Is 12,030 Tons = Down by 14% from prior month,
and import from Taiwan is grossly down = The import volume of stainless steel
products in February 2015 which was compiled by the Japan Iron and Steel
Federation based on the trade statistics prepared by the Ministry of Finance
was 12,030 tons, down by 14.0% from 13,988 tons of the prior month. -
more
Global
mining deals to pick up this year: SNL Metals & Mining - The number of
mining deals worldwide increased in 2014 and this trend is likely to continue
this year amid an ongoing commodity price rout that has forced miners to
slash capital spending and cut costs, a study released April 8 shows. -
more
Morning Nickel
Price Statistics & Figures
Today's almost official prices
here / Yesterday's actual
LME official prices
here
or
here
Shanghai Jinchuan nickel price - available
here
or
here(updated)
Please let us know if any of these links stop working, stop carrying
info, or become available to subscriber's only. We encourage our readers
to use the services of those companies who supply news and information free
of charge.Contact
us
Wednesday, April 8
Daily
Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing(8:00 AM CST is 1PM in London)
Three month nickel closed Tuesday's trading session at
$5.74/lb
. Indicators
at 7:00 am CST today show 3 month nickel trading around $.07/lb
higher, with other
London traded base metals mostly high, but quieter. Stockpiles of nickel
stored in LME approved warehouses fell on Monday and now total just under
the 431,400 tonne level. Support at $5.60/lb remains in place and went untested
yesterday. $5.70/lb was hit three times in yesterday's trading, but in each
case, nickel bounced off that level. We linked to a BBC 2014 documentary
below - well worth watching if you have the time. And Nickel Magazine's newest
issue has been published online - also linked below.
Average price of cash nickel so far this month - $5.72/lb
Average price of LME traded nickel in 2014 - $7.65/lb / 2013 - $6.80/lb /
avg 2012 - $7.95/lb /
(USGS) Metal Prices in the United States Through 2010 -
pdf
here
(Twitter) China nickel pig iron output unsustainable at current 30,000 mt
level given current nickel prices, says Macquarie.
More high-cost Chinese iron ore mines to be shut this year as prices tipped
to sink further -
more
U.S. Fastener Imports and Exports Both Decline in February -
more
Shanghai
nickel slides 3 pct on China construction worries - Shanghai nickel slid
3 percent on Wednesday, echoing losses in London, on concerns that China's
struggling construction sector would corrode demand for the stainless steel
ingredient. -
more
Botwana’s BCL picks up Norilsk Nickel Africa assets for $337M -
Russia’s OJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel will soon depart entirely from its
African portfolio as its exit strategy from Norilsk Nickel Africa (in Botswana
and South Africa) nears completion. -
more
Price
of South African Charge Chrome for Japan Fixed at US Cents 116 = No big change
in demand and supply, and price remains unchanged from prior period = On
April 2, the negotiation on the benchmark price of South African charge chrome
meant for Japan as shipments during April to June in 2015 came to an agreement
with a result of the price being fixed at US Cents 116 per lb, which remains
unchanged from the prior period. -
more
Commerzbank
expects Nickel to fall further in coming months - Nickel futures prices surged
after profit-taking by shorts on April 02. SHFE 1507 nickel rallied up by
3.54% to close at 96,160 yuan per ton and LME, as of 15:07 Beijing time,
traded at $12,920 per ton, up 1.69%. -
more
Courtesy AISI
- In the week ending April 4, 2015, domestic raw steel production was 1,600,000
net tons while the capability utilization rate was 67.7 percent. Production
was 1,853,000 net tons in the week ending April 4, 2014 while the capability
utilization then was 77.1 percent. The current week production represents
a 13.7 percent decrease from the same period in the previous year. Production
for the week ending April 4, 2015 is down 1.7 percent from the previous week
ending March 28, 2015 when production was 1,628,000 net tons and the rate
of capability utilization was 68.9 percent.
How China
Fooled The World- 2014 - BBC's Robert Peston travels to China to investigate
how this mighty economic giant could actually be in serious trouble. -
documentary here
Morning Nickel
Price Statistics & Figures
Today's almost official prices
here / Yesterday's actual
LME official prices
here
or
here
Shanghai Jinchuan nickel price - available
here
or
here(updated)
Please let us know if any of these links stop working, stop carrying
info, or become available to subscriber's only. We encourage our readers
to use the services of those companies who supply news and information free
of charge.Contact
us
Tuesday, April 7
Daily
Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing(8:00 AM CST is 1PM in London)
Three month nickel closed Thursday's trading session at
$5.90/lb. Indicators at
6:50 am CST today show 3 month nickel trading around $.18/lb
lower, with other
London traded base metals trading higher. Stockpiles of nickel stored in
LME approved warehouses rose on Thursday and start this week just under the
432,000 tonne level. Shanghai Metals Market is reporting nickel ore stockpiles
at five major Chinese ports fell 55,000 tonnes last week and now total 11.095
million tonnes. While the Chinese numbers are still fading, they stand about
11 million tonnes over where SMM forecast they would be in April in a prediction
a few months back. And while that was an incredibly bold prediction, many
such forecasts have proved totally wrong this year, as the lack of demand
in stainless steel production is silencing forecasts of nose diving nickel
stockpiles. We show support at $5.60/lb, with strong support at $5.40/lb.
After a four day holiday break, traders have returned to the trading floor
in a very bearish mood.
Average price of cash nickel so far this month - $5.73/lb
Average price of LME traded nickel in 2014 - $7.65/lb / 2013 - $6.80/lb /
avg 2012 - $7.95/lb /
(USGS) Metal Prices in the United States Through 2010 -
pdf
here
World Economy Ready to Bounce After Sluggish Opening to 2015 -
more
U.S. Fastener Exports & Imports Increased in 2014 -
more
Thompson
miners safe after underground fire - All of the miners who were stuck underground
after a fire broke out in a northern Manitoba nickel mine have safely returned
to the surface. -
more
Russian
Project Brings Impact Of Underground And Open Pit Mining To The Surface -
Russian nickel exploration and development company Amur Minerals Corporation
has recently announced the potential of an underground mine in conjunction
with an open pit mine in its Kun-Manienickel copper sulfide project, particularly
at the MalyKurumkon / Flangovy, Vodorazdelny, Ikenskoe / Sobolevsky, and
Kubuk deposits. -
more
Negotiations
on CR Austenitic Stainless Sheets = They cool further in falling of the LME
nickel price below $6 = As the LME nickel price has fallen below the level
of $6 per pound, a further cooling down in the Japanese mills' future
negotiations on cold-rolled (CR) austenitic stainless steel sheets for Asia
is felt. -
more
Sumitomo
Metal Mining's FY2015 Plan for Nickel Production = Production of Fe-Ni decreases
to 20,000 tons, whereas production of electrolytic Ni increases to 63,800
tons = According to the summary of the plan for metal production Sumitomo
Metal Mining Co., Ltd. released on April 1, the Company's production volume
of ferro-nickel (in pure Ni equivalent) planned for the fiscal year 2015
(April 2015 - March 2016) is 20,000 tons (10,000 tons in the former half
and 10,000 tons in the latter half). -
more
China's crude
steel output down 1.5% in Jan-Feb to 130.5 mln tons - China, the world's
largest steel producer, saw its crude steel output fall 1.5% year on year
to 130.53 million tons in the first two months of this year, according to
the latest statistics released by the National Development and Reform Commission.
-
more
Fate of iron
ore’s recovery rests with China and Australia - China and Australia,
two economic powerhouses on opposite sides of the supply-demand equation,
are critical to iron ore’s recovery—and by most accounts it may
be a lost cause. -
more
Morning Nickel
Price Statistics & Figures
Today's almost official prices
here / Yesterday's actual
LME official prices
here
or
here
Shanghai Jinchuan nickel price - available
here
or
here(updated)
Please let us know if any of these links stop working, stop carrying
info, or become available to subscriber's only. We encourage our readers
to use the services of those companies who supply news and information free
of charge.Contact
us
Thursday, April 2
Daily
Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing(8:00 AM CST is 1PM in London)
Three month nickel closed Wednesday's trading session at
$5.77/lb
. Indicators
at 7:00 am CST today show 3 month nickel trading around $.12/lb
higher, with other
London traded base metals trading mixed and much quieter. Stockpiles of nickel
stored in LME approved warehouses fell for a third consecutive day on Wednesday
and now total just under the 431,800 tonne level. Nickel is benefitting from
a stronger Euro today, which is adding positive momentum to a two day bullish
bump. Watch the LME inventory numbers closely. The pace of growth in the
numbers has slowed dramatically in the last few months, and at the moment,
have nearly fallen below where they started March at. If the current pace
continues, we cold see April register as our first deficit month in years.
The London Metal Exchange is closed tomorrow for Good Friday and on Monday
for Easter. Will this four day holiday rob nickel of its momentum? Join us
next week and find out. We will take a break as well, so our next update
will be next week when markets re-open. Have a safe and relaxing weekend.
Average price of cash nickel so far this month - $5.59/lb
Average price of LME traded nickel in 2014 - $7.65/lb / 2013 - $6.80/lb /
avg 2012 - $7.95/lb /
(USGS) Metal Prices in the United States Through 2010 -
pdf
here
Iron Ore Seen Extending Slump Below $50 as BHP, Rio Decline -
more
World food prices hit lowest in nearly 5 years last month - U.N. FAO -
more
What Direction
Will Nickel Go after Today Rallies? SMM Interviews - On Apr. 2, nickel futures
prices surged after profit-taking by shorts. SHFE 1507 nickel rallied up
by 3.54% to close at 96,160 yuan per tonne, and LME, as of 15:07 Beijing
time, traded at $12,920 per tonne, up 1.69%. -
more
Brazil,
Russia to become leading sources of Nickel - When it comes to nickel, two
countries are seen as leading sources. According to reports, Brazil’s
Vale nickel output is so high that even its executives are baffled with its
success. Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, Russia’s Amur Minerals
Corporation is on its way to exploring one of the biggest nickel deposits
globally. -
more
Morning Nickel
Price Statistics & Figures
Today's almost official prices
here / Yesterday's actual
LME official prices
here
or
here
Shanghai Jinchuan nickel price - available
here
or
here(updated)
Please let us know if any of these links stop working, stop carrying
info, or become available to subscriber's only. We encourage our readers
to use the services of those companies who supply news and information free
of charge.Contact
us
Wednesday, April 1
Daily
Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing(8:00 AM CST is 1PM in London)
Three month nickel closed Tuesday's trading session at
$5.61/lb
. Indicators
at 6:40 am CST today show 3 month nickel trading around $.04/lb
higher, with other
London traded base metals trading mixed and quietly. Stockpiles of nickel
stored in LME approved warehouses fell on Tuesday and now total just shy
of the 433,000 tonne level. It's the first day of the second quarter of 2015,
and traders of nickel are hoping it is not a repeat fo the first quarter.
Nickel is down over 15% in the last 90 days, and is trading at levels last
seen in 2009, during the depths of the so called Great Recession. Traders
only have two trading days left to the week, with LME markets closed this
Friday for Good Friday, and next Monday for Easter. Australian media is reporting
New Caledonia's Koniambo is struggling, RAB says Goldman is wrong about low
commodity prices this year, and China's manufacturing PMI crawls back above
50. Stories below.
Average price of cash nickel so far this month - N/A
Average price of LME traded nickel in 2014 - $7.65/lb / 2013 - $6.80/lb /
avg 2012 - $7.95/lb /
(USGS) Metal Prices in the United States Through 2010 -
pdf
here
(SMM) 8 nickel smelters are expected to complete construction in 2015, an
Indonesia’s official said. Construction of another 12 nickel smelters
will also be finished in 2016, said Sukhyar, Director General for Coal and
Mineral Resources at the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.
(MBN) Japan's Sumitomo Metal & Mining plans to produce 63,800 tonnes
of electrolytic nickel in the financial year starting April 1, 2015, up 10.6%
year-on-year.
Why Goldman
Sachs Is Wrong About Commodity Prices - RAB Capital Founder Philip Richards
tells us why Goldman's bearish outlook is wrong. -
more
In 20 years,
the world may run out of mineable gold - (quote from article) Platinum
, copper, and nickel reserves only have about 40 years or less left. -
more
New
Caledonia smelter in trouble - New Caledonia's Koniambo nickel company says
it has serious problems with its furnaces and will therefore produce far
less metal this year than scheduled. -
more
Antam’s
new boss plans massive cost-cut measure - State-owned diversified miner PT
Aneka Tambang (Antam) is set to roll out a series of efficiency measures
this year in an effort to improve its finances, its new boss said. -
more
China's Import
& Export Results of Nickel in February 2015 - The foreign trade statistics
of China shows the import & export results of nickel-containing products
in February 2015 in the table below. -
more
Layoffs at
Special Metals total about 100 - The number of layoffs at Special Metals
was originally believed to be 73, but that number is actually closer to 100,
according to a statement from a representative of Special Metals' parent
company on Tuesday. -
more
Morning Nickel
Price Statistics & Figures
Today's almost official prices
here / Yesterday's actual
LME official prices
here
or
here
Shanghai Jinchuan nickel price - available
here
or
here(updated)
Please let us know if any of these links stop working, stop carrying
info, or become available to subscriber's only. We encourage our readers
to use the services of those companies who supply news and information free
of charge.Contact
us
"A Guide To LME
Trading"...pdf here(all ton listings are metric
tons = 2204.622 pounds ) Updated daily before 8 am CST weekdays -
DisclaimerOriginal content and opinions copyright
www.estainlesssteel.com. All prices shown on this page
are indications only. Note - For real time and official LME prices, LME requires
a user subscribe to an authorized LME vendor.
Daily
Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing
(8:00 AM CST is 1PM in London)
. Indicators
at 7:00 am CST today show 3 month nickel trading around $.15/lb
Reports
Commodity/Economic Comments
Stainless steel business remains sluggish - Global: In line with a softer
nickel market over recent weeks, 304 stainless steel scrap prices have slid
from US$ 1340-1390 per tonne in late March to US$ 1280-1330 a month later
while 316 values have suffered under the influence of molybdenum weakness
and have dropped over the same time period from US$ 1800-1850 to US$ 1700-1750.
-
Indonesia
nickel smelters to see slow growth -Macquarie - Indonesia's ban on nickel
ore exports is stimulating investment in processing plants, but this will
be a slow process over the next decade, a senior analyst told a conference
on Wednesday. -
China's
molybdenum mining tax reform on May 1 unlikely to spur surge in exports -
China's molybdenum producers are unlikely to immediately flock back to the
export market next month following the roll-out of a new tax regime on May
1, as domestic prices are still higher than international levels, market
sources said Wednesday. -
New
Caledonia President Accused Of Lying About Mine Debt - There has been a sharp
rebuke for New Caledonia's president, Philippe Germain, from his predecessor
over alleged concessions for the SMSP mining company, which belongs to the
mainly Kanak northern province. -
World’s top nickel producer can’t mine enough to satisfy China
- The Philippines might fail to satisfy China’s nickel ore demand, which
could push up refined metal prices more than 15% -
Nickel
miner First Quantum Minerals slashes jobs in Ravensthorpe - A nickel mining
company in Western Australia's south has laid off 31 workers in response
to the low price for the mineral. -
Vale Earnings
Fall to Six-Year Low as China Steel Boom Fades - Vale SA earnings excluding
items slumped to the lowest since 2009, in line with estimates, as the
world’s largest iron-ore producer faces shrinking Chinese steel demand.
-
Morning Nickel
Price Statistics & Figures
. Indicators
at 6:30 am CST today show 3 month nickel trading around $.04/lb
Hold
the nickel price elation - There’s been some salivation over the spot
nickel price lately. It’s beaten to smithereens, down from around $9/lb
a year ago to well under $6/lb in recent weeks. -
Sherritt
revenue boosted by Ambatovy nickel output - Canadian miner Sherritt International
Corp reported an 11 percent rise in quarterly revenue as it ramped up nickel
production at its flagship mine in Madagascar and boosted output in Cuba.
-
Stainless
Steel Production Reaches 41.7 Million Metric Tons in 2014 - The International
Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) has released figures for the full year 2014
showing that stainless steel melt shop production increased by 8.3%
year–on–year to 41.7 million metric tons (mmt). Production increased
in all regions except for Central and Eastern Europe. -
Courtesy AISI
- In the week ending April 25, 2015, domestic raw steel production was 1,707,000
net tons while the capability utilization rate was 72.2 percent. Production
was 1,841,000 net tons in the week ending April 25, 2014 while the capability
utilization then was 76.6 percent. The current week production represents
a 7.3 percent decrease from the same period in the previous year. Production
for the week ending April 25, 2015 is up 3.1 percent from the previous week
ending April 18, 2015 when production was 1,655,000 net tons and the rate
of capability utilization was 70.0 percent.
Why Nickel
is Your Best Bet for Resource Gains This Year - A huge event is playing out
in the commodities markets right now. Most people don’t know about it.
-
Anglo
American Iron Ore Production Rises, Guidance Reiterated - Anglo American
PLC Thursday reported a rise in iron ore, platinum and diamond production
in the first quarter and reiterated its full-year guidance across all of
its segments bar diamonds, despite copper and nickel production falling and
coal giving mixed results. -
Over 240 mining
and energy projects waiting for investors in Cuba - Cuba, the world’s
sixth largest nickel producers and one of the top 10 nickel mining countries,
is experiencing a sudden, but still modest, investment rush triggered by
an ongoing reconciliation between the Caribbean nation and the U.S. -
TNMC found
guilty of worker’s fatal death - The Chief magistrate here, Gaedupe
Makgatho has ruled that Tati Nickel Mining Company was negligent in the accident
that claimed the life of Ntsesang Raditsebe, 30, on its premises. -
Russian
Nickel May Become Deliverable Brand in Shanghai Futures Exchange – Russian
nickel will likely become deliverable brand in Shanghai Futures Exchange,
an official from the Exchange said. -
Japan
ferrochrome: Falling prices attract bargain hunters - Japanese spot high-carbon
ferrochrome import prices fell this week on dull demand, leading to a pick-up
in spot demand among bargain hunters. -
Zimbabwe:
Bnc Nickel Sales Jump 49 Percent - Mwana Africa says sales of nickel in
concentrate at Bindura Nickel Corporation rose by 49 percent to 2 072 tonnes
in the fourth quarter as refurbished equipment was brought back into operation.
-
City backs
deep mining project in Sudbury - Sudbury's Centre for Excellence in Mining
Innovation is getting a big boost. City council voted unanimously on Tuesday
to invest $200,000 per year for the next five years in CEMI, for its
commercialization attainment project (CAP). -
Zero
hour to strike at Cerro Matoso - The nickel production at Cerro Matoso could
suffer from today, announcing the strike from 3pm workers union so consider
the unilateral imposition of an increase in working hours from 8 to 12 hours
in some functions. -
Import of
SUS Products in February 2015 Is 12,030 Tons = Down by 14% from prior month,
and import from Taiwan is grossly down = The import volume of stainless steel
products in February 2015 which was compiled by the Japan Iron and Steel
Federation based on the trade statistics prepared by the Ministry of Finance
was 12,030 tons, down by 14.0% from 13,988 tons of the prior month. -
Price
of South African Charge Chrome for Japan Fixed at US Cents 116 = No big change
in demand and supply, and price remains unchanged from prior period = On
April 2, the negotiation on the benchmark price of South African charge chrome
meant for Japan as shipments during April to June in 2015 came to an agreement
with a result of the price being fixed at US Cents 116 per lb, which remains
unchanged from the prior period. -
How China
Fooled The World- 2014 - BBC's Robert Peston travels to China to investigate
how this mighty economic giant could actually be in serious trouble. -
