That leaves us with one feasible option to raise revenues, or close the site. Before we start the 2020 year, we invite 12 advertisers to buy a banner to replace the add across the top of the news page. The 728 x 90 banner will be posted for an entire month in 2020.  If you would like to sponsor a  month personally, we can post any appropriate banner that you desire (ie possibly non profit, awareness, etc). The cost for the space/month is $300 per month and depending on the commitments received, we will determine by the end of this year, whether continuation of the site is economically feasible.

  Daily Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing (7:00 AM CST is 12 PM in London)

• Nickel closed Tuesday's trading session at $6.62/lb ($14,595/tonne). Indicators at 6:20 am CST today show nickel trading around $.07/lb  lower. Stockpiles of nickel stored in LME licensed warehouses fell slightly on Tuesday and started the day just under the 67,600 tonne level. While the drop in price this morning is larger than the last few mornings, for the most part, trading remains fairly sideways. Nickel closed as low as $6.51/lb last week, and traded as low as $6.42/lb and we have yet to see nickel trade that low since. Look at $14,400 as somewhat of a mid-point of this week's channel. Along with a ton of spam we had to unblock, we received some e-mail's from readers interested in sponsorship opportunities. If you sent an e-mail, please give us a few days to respond. And for anyone interested in sponsoring next year, please put "stainless steel" in the topic. United States residents will be celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow and many, including us, turn this into a four day weekend. That means we will see you next in December. We thank you for joining us today, and wish you a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable weekend. We are truly thankful you joined us today.
  
• Average price of LME traded cash nickel so far this month - $6.98/lb
  
• Average price of LME traded nickel in first half of 2019 - $5.59/lb / 2018 - $5.95/lb / 2017 - $4.73/lb / 2016 - $4.36/lb /

  Reports

• Reuters metals morning - Copper hits two-week high as Trump comments lift demand prospects - more
  
• Reuters Daily Inside Metals - pdf here  
• SMM Evening Comments - more
• Reuters The Day Ahead - pdf here
• ITA October Monthly Steel Factsheet - pdf here
• ITA Steel Industry Executive Summary: October 2019 - pdf here
• EU Investigation Case R705 - Corrosion resistant steels - pdf here
  

  Commodity/Economic Comments

• China Stainless Steel Scrap Market News / Price - more
• Scotiabank Reports - more
• Baltic Dry Index - (chart)
• Stainless steel: The role of nickel - here
• Alloyed for Lasting Value video - here
• Self Repairing for Lasting Value video - here
• Stocks Rise With U.S. Index Futures; Dollar Climbs: Markets Wrap - more

     Tuesday's market review - Lead rebounds from 4-1/2 month low on trade hopes - The price of lead bounced from four-month lows on Tuesday and other industrial metals also recovered on hopes that a U.S.-Sino trade deal was close to being agreed. - more

      China to dominate battery metal demand - Fitch Solutions’ base, bullish and bear case demand trends for EV battery metals over the coming years has revealed that China will remain the key driver of direct EV metals demand. - more

      China ferronickel imports rose 73% YoY in October - About 168,800 mt in physical content of nickel was imported into China in the form of ferronickel (FeNi) and nickel pig iron (NPI) in October, showed the latest Customs data. - more

• October nickel ore imports fell 23% from record high - more
  

      Vale sees $1.6 billion impairment charge for Q4 in New Caledonia write down - Brazilian miner Vale SA , the world’s top nickel producer, will write down its New Caledonia mine and incur a non-cash impairment charge of about $1.6 billion in the fourth quarter, the company said on Tuesday in a securities filing. - more

      Inomin eyeing monster BC nickel sulphide deposits -  Canada has long enjoyed a reputation as one of the world's leading nickel-mining nations. The base metal used in the production of stainless steel, and increasingly, in nickel-cobalt-aluminum (NCA) and nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) lithium-ion batteries needed for electric vehicles - was first discovered in Canada in 1883. - 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)
• India MCX Nickel Price - more  more
• 100 Years of Stainless Steel Video - online here
• 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

  Daily Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing (7:00 AM CST is 12 PM in London)

• Nickel closed yesterday's trading session at $6.57/lb ($14,490/tonne). Indicators at 6:20 am CST today show nickel trading around $.05/lb lower. Stockpiles of nickel stored in LME licensed warehouses rose by over 1000 tonnes on Monday and started today just over the 67,800 tonne level. Cancelled warrants continue to slip, but at a much slower pace, and are in the 33% range at present. Rather slow news day. We had someone send us a test email with stainless steel on the topic and it did not make it past our spam filter. Our spam is automatically deleted. The one response that made it past the spam filter misspelled stainless - fortunately. If you have responded to our request for advertisers, we did not get your email, and we ask that you resend. As of today, we still stand at one sponsor. Without twelve, regretfully, we will shut down the news site in December. Industry news is light today. For the past 5 trading days, one could say nickel is trading sideways, but sentiment apparently remains bearish. November has been a quiet month for the last few years when it comes to total LME inventory changes, and this year has been no different. With three trading days left, we are up just over 1500 tonnes for the month.
  
• Average price of LME traded cash nickel so far this month - $7.00/lb
  
• Average price of LME traded nickel in first half of 2019 - $5.59/lb / 2018 - $5.95/lb / 2017 - $4.73/lb / 2016 - $4.36/lb /

  Reports

• Reuters metals morning - Shanghai lead tumbles to 1-1/2-year low as inventories surge - more
  
• Reuters Daily Inside Metals - pdf here  
• SMM Evening Comments - more
• Reuters The Day Ahead - pdf here

  Commodity/Economic Comments

• China Stainless Steel Scrap Market News / Price - more
• Scotiabank Reports - more
• Baltic Dry Index - (chart)
• Stainless steel: The role of nickel - here
• Alloyed for Lasting Value video - here
• Self Repairing for Lasting Value video - here
• Norilsk Nickel: Planning Ahead - more
• Stainless for winemaking success - more
  
• U.S. Equity Futures Drift; Treasuries Edge Higher: Markets Wrap - more

     Yesterday's market review - Trade war optimism and inventory plunge push copper higher - Copper prices rose on Monday after positive comments from the United States and China on the progress of trade talks and a sharp decline in available stocks in London Metal Exchange (LME) warehouses. - more

      Courtesy AISI - In the week ending on November 23, 2019, domestic raw steel production was 1,861,000 net tons while the capability utilization rate was 80.4 percent. Production was 1,903,000 net tons in the week ending November 23, 2018 while the capability utilization then was 81.2 percent. The current week production represents a 2.2 percent decrease from the same period in the previous year. Production for the week ending November 23, 2019 is down 0.8 percent from the previous week ending November 16, 2019 when production was 1,876,000 net tons and the rate of capability utilization was 81.1 percent. - more

      DNR and Twin Metals - The decision by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to conduct its own environmental review process into the impacts of a proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine is a good one, that will allow Minnesotans to have a stronger voice in ensuring the protection of the most spectacular place in our state. - 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)
• India MCX Nickel Price - more  more
• 100 Years of Stainless Steel Video - online here
• 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

  Daily Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing (7:00 AM CST is 12 PM in London)

• Nickel closed Friday's trading session at $6.61/lb ($14,580/tonne). Indicators at 6:10 am CST today show nickel trading around $.05/lb  lower. Stockpiles of nickel stored in LME licensed warehouses rose on Friday, the exact amount it fell on Thursday, so we started this week just over the 66,800 tonne level again. We noticed in Friday's wrap up that an analyst was crediting nickel's slight bump up last week was due to nickel bouncing off its 200 day moving average. Our records show the 200 day moving average is closer to the $15,000/tonne, so we disagree with this statement. We still have strong support near $14,000/tonne. $14.300 appears to be establishing itself as minor support based off a trade back on August 1st. New Caledonia could join the ranks of low nickel content ore exporters, while the EU is taking Indonesia to court over its decision to leave those ranks. The United States will be celebrating Thanksgiving on Thursday and Friday so we will only be posting updates thru Wednesday this week. The month will end Saturday, so have a great week.
  
• Average price of LME traded cash nickel so far this month - $7.03/lb
  
• Average price of LME traded nickel in first half of 2019 - $5.59/lb / 2018 - $5.95/lb / 2017 - $4.73/lb / 2016 - $4.36/lb /

  Reports

• Reuters metals morning - Base metals rise on China-U.S. trade optimism - more
  
• Reuters Daily Inside Metals - pdf here  
• SMM Evening Comments - more
• Reuters The Day Ahead - pdf here
• Manufacturing Outlook November 2019 - more
  

  Commodity/Economic Comments

• China Stainless Steel Scrap Market News / Price - more
• Scotiabank Reports - more
• Baltic Dry Index - (chart)
• Stainless steel: The role of nickel - here
• Alloyed for Lasting Value video - here
• Self Repairing for Lasting Value video - here
• Stocks Rise After China’s IP Move; Treasuries Slip: Markets Wrap - more

    Friday's market review - Copper recovers after upbeat U.S., Chinese comments on deal - Copper rebounded on Friday after comments by the U.S. and Chinese presidents raised hopes that the two countries will forge a trade deal. - more

      Paris court okays New Caledonia nickel export decisions - The highest French administrative court has thrown out a challenge to two decisions in New Caledonia to approve additional nickel exports. - more

      China October nickel ore imports from Indonesia jump 23.4% as ban nears - China's nickel ore imports from Indonesia surged 23.4% in October from the previous month, customs data showed on Monday, as Chinese buyers continued to stock up ahead of a ban on exports from top miners from January. - more

      Rallies in Twin Soos protest plans for ferrochrome plant (4 photos) - Groups of environmentally concerned citizens gathered in the Twin Soos Saturday afternoon for coordinated rallies to protest Noront’s planned ferrochrome production facility for Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.  - more

      DNR plans independent review on Twin Metals project - Citing uncertainty at the federal level, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said Friday it will conduct an environmental review of any Twin Metals Minnesota project proposal independent of its federal agency counterparts. - 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)
• India MCX Nickel Price - more  more
• 100 Years of Stainless Steel Video - online here
• 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

  Daily Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing (7:00 AM CST is 12 PM in London)

• Nickel closed Wednesday's trading session at $6.51/lb ($14,360/tonne). Indicators at 6:20 am CST today show nickel trading  unchanged. China business media is reporting exports of inwrought nickel from that country rose by over 1050% in October to 20,396 tons, an increase of 18,636 tons over September totals. According to the article, much of this involved removing nickel from bonded warehouses and shipping to other warehouses. If true, this would confirm our earlier observation that this was a practice to give demand the appearance of being much higher than it realistically was. This type of play is something only big players can afford to play, and while not illegal, it does tend to suck the market in, and when the market finally corrects, as it is now, nearly everyone in the nickel and stainless steel industry's loses. We have just below the $14,000 tonne level as the next line of major support, and we show its an important one. If nickel can't find a bottom by $6.34/lb, then we suspect the long term 'technical' trend outlook switches to bearish.  From June thru the end of August, LME nickel gained over $7000/tonne. Since then the market has fallen over $4200/tonne. Considering the market started the year around $10,700, you can see we have lost around half of the year's gains.
  
• Average price of LME traded cash nickel so far this month - $7.10/lb
  
• Average price of LME traded nickel in first half of 2019 - $5.59/lb / 2018 - $5.95/lb / 2017 - $4.73/lb / 2016 - $4.36/lb /

  Reports

• Reuters metals morning - Copper falls as U.S.-China trade deal remains elusive - more
  
• Reuters Daily Inside Metals - pdf here  
• SMM Evening Comments - more
• Reuters The Day Ahead - pdf here
• Independence Group Annual Report - pdf here
• The Business Times Market Data - pdf here
  

  Commodity/Economic Comments

• China Stainless Steel Scrap Market News / Price - more
• Scotiabank Reports - more
• Baltic Dry Index - (chart)
• Stainless steel: The role of nickel - here
• Alloyed for Lasting Value video - here
• Self Repairing for Lasting Value video - here
• Trump says he doesn't think China is 'stepping up' in trade talks - more
• European Steel Prices Approaching Bottom of The Current Cycle - more
• U.S. Futures Fluctuate on Trade News; Bonds Drift: Markets Wrap - more

      Wednesday's market review - Copper touches one-week high as China cuts rates - Copper prices touched one-week highs on Wednesday after top consumer China cut interest rates to shore up growth, and on hopes the country’s trade dispute with the United States could move towards a resolution.  - more

      Russian businessman Potanin says he may raise stake in Nornickel - Russian businessman Vladimir Potanin, the biggest shareholder in Norilsk Nickel, said on Wednesday he may raise his stake in the Russian mining giant if the opportunity arises. - more

      Indonesia president: domestic processing of resources to resolve deficit problem - He mentioned Indonesia's plan to expand the nickel processing industry and urged miners to process more minerals at home. - more

      Lithium ferro phosphate batteries should be the battery of choice says Lithium Australia - Lithium Australia claims lithium ferro-phosphate batteries should be the prime choice when looking at energy storage options for numerous reasons including the fact they can be made from waste ore, spent batteries and they eliminate the need for other minerals such as nickel and cobalt. - 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)
• India MCX Nickel Price - more  more
• 100 Years of Stainless Steel Video - online here
• 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

  Daily Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing (7:00 AM CST is 12 PM in London)

• Nickel closed Tuesday's trading session at $6.66/lb ($14,690/tonne). Indicators at 6:20 am CST today show nickel trading around $.14/lb  lower. Stockpiles of nickel stored in LME licensed warehouses rose on Tuesday, and started today just over the 66,900 tonne level. While the total gain over the last four sessions is less than 3000 tonnes, it has been consistent. Equally consistent is the bearish tone to the traded price of nickel, with another line of major support falling by the wayside. If anything the bear appears to be picking up steam this week, with nickel dropping over $1000/tonne in only four sessions. The $1000/tonne drop before that took nine days. If in fact, someone in China was trying to corner the market as has been reported, by buying up inventory and driving prices higher earlier this fall, they better hope the supply/demand expectations for the future come to fruition sooner than later, or they just got snake bit. Once again, these up and down price cycles hurt everyone. Miners, who had some breathing room, have to start watching their bottom lines closer as the price of nickel falls. Stainless steel producers, who have to buy nickel to survive, know that when they buy in a bear market, the nickel will worth less when it arrives than when they but it, and thus their stainless steel could be over priced before it is produced. And than cycle continues down stream for all producers of stainless steel products. And then the distributors, finding the price of their product falling, see their profit margins shrink as they try to move inventory they can replace cheaper. The users know the price is falling and expect their price to fall as fast as it rose during the bull market. Again, few winners - except maybe the large trading houses who bet correctly. Light news day.
  
• Average price of LME traded cash nickel so far this month - $7.15/lb
  
• Average price of LME traded nickel in first half of 2019 - $5.59/lb / 2018 - $5.95/lb / 2017 - $4.73/lb / 2016 - $4.36/lb /

  Reports

• Reuters metals morning - London copper slips on U.S.-China trade deal uncertainty - more
  
• Reuters Daily Inside Metals - pdf here  
• SMM Evening Comments - more
• Reuters The Day Ahead - pdf here
• metal markets chart - pdf here
  

  Commodity/Economic Comments

• China Stainless Steel Scrap Market News / Price - more
• Scotiabank Reports - more
• Baltic Dry Index - (chart)
• Stainless steel: The role of nickel - here
• Alloyed for Lasting Value video - here
• Self Repairing for Lasting Value video - here
• U.S. Futures Fall on China Tensions; Bonds Advance: Markets Wrap - more

     Tuesday's market review - Copper rises on U.S.-China trade talks, but gains limited - Copper rose on Tuesday on hopes that the United States and China could reach a trade deal, but gains were capped by concerns that a full agreement was some way off. - more

      Nickel market records deficit in January to September 2019 - The nickel market was in deficit during January to September 2019 with apparent demand exceeding production by 66.9 kt. - more

      Nornickel's plan to cut dividends needs scrutiny - shareholder EN+ - Norilsk Nickel’s plan to reduce dividends to fund investments to boost output and cut emissions requires scrutiny as dependable payouts are critical for shareholders, major stakeholder EN+ told Reuters on Tuesday. - more

• Russian smelting giant invests billions in green modernisation - more
  

       Court orders forensic search of MPCA hard drives in PolyMet inquiry - It's part of three separate investigations into the handling of comments on a controversial water permit for the proposed copper-nickel mine near Hoyt Lakes and Babbitt. - 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)
• India MCX Nickel Price - more  more
• 100 Years of Stainless Steel Video - online here
• 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

  Daily Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing (7:00 AM CST is 12 PM in London)

• Nickel closed Monday's trading session at $6.74/lb ($14,848/tonne). Indicators at 6:15 am CST today show nickel trading around $.15/lb  lower. Stockpiles of nickel stored in LME licensed warehouses rose on Monday and started today just under the 66,200 tonne level. Nickel is testing a major technical support point this morning, which we have at $6.66/lb ($14.700/tonne). If this level fails to hold, and so far this morning, it appears it won't, we see the $14,060 tonne level as the next line. If that fails, the bull is in serious trouble. Some might say that already. From approximately $12,100 on July 1st to a high of approximately $18,450/tonne on September 2nd, to today's near $14,500/tonne. This from a start of the year around $10,700/tonne. This puts us around the 1/2 way point of the low and high of the year, with the current trend in the negative. Stockpiles of the month are now down a grand total of 132 tonnes, so we are either seeing the effects of the LME announcement it was going to investigate the steep withdrawals seen over the past few months, or the effects of a slowdown in China stainless steel growth, or the effects of a slowdown in EV sales in the US over the summer. Whatever the reason, traders soured on nickel at the start of September and have yet to change their sentiment.
  
• Average price of LME traded cash nickel so far this month - $7.19/lb
  
• Average price of LME traded nickel in first half of 2019 - $5.59/lb / 2018 - $5.95/lb / 2017 - $4.73/lb / 2016 - $4.36/lb /

  Reports

• Reuters metals morning - Copper eases for 2nd day on concerns over U.S.-China trade deal - more
  
• Reuters Daily Inside Metals - pdf here  
• SMM Evening Comments - more
• Reuters The Day Ahead - pdf here
• Real Inventory Slowdowns - more
• Nornickel Investor Presentation - pdf here
  

  Commodity/Economic Comments

• China Stainless Steel Scrap Market News / Price - more
• Scotiabank Reports - more
• Baltic Dry Index - (chart)
• Stainless steel: The role of nickel - here
• Alloyed for Lasting Value video - here
• Self Repairing for Lasting Value video - here
• Stocks Advance With U.S. Futures; Treasuries Slip: Markets Wrap - more

     Monday's market review - Copper slips on uncertainty over U.S.-China trade war - Copper prices ended lower on Monday in response to doubts over whether a U.S.-China trade deal can be reached soon, possibly prolonging pressure on global growth and metals demand. - more

      Nippon Steel Stainless Steel raises prices of nickel series stainless steel sheet for Nov - Nippon Steel Stainless Steel Corporation announced that its contract price of SUS304 and other nickel series cold-rolled stainless steel sheet and plate for domestic sales in November 2019 will be increased by 5,000 yen/ton, and that of SUS430 chromium series stainless steel cold-rolled sheet remained unchanged. - more

      Sudbury junior miner thinks it’s sitting on a large multi-mineral deposit - A Toronto junior miner believes it’s uncovered a large gold and multi-element deposit, east of Sudbury - more

      Courtesy AISI - In the week ending on November 16, 2019, domestic raw steel production was 1,876,000 net tons while the capability utilization rate was 81.1 percent. Production was 1,903,000 net tons in the week ending November 16, 2018 while the capability utilization then was 81.2 percent. The current week production represents a 1.4 percent decrease from the same period in the previous year. Production for the week ending November 16, 2019 is up 0.8 percent from the previous week ending November 9, 2019 when production was 1,862,000 net tons and the rate of capability utilization was 80.5 percent. - more

      Former richest woman in Australia Millie Phillips caught in bizarre family feud - Millie Phillips used to be the richest woman in Australia. Today, her family have been devastated by a bizarre family feud over her fortune. - 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)
• India MCX Nickel Price - more  more
• 100 Years of Stainless Steel Video - online here
• 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

  Daily Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing (7:00 AM CST is 12 PM in London)

• Nickel closed Friday's trading session at $6.79/lb ($14,975/tonne). Indicators at 6:20 am CST today show nickel trading around $.07/lb  lower. Stockpiles of nickel stored in LME licensed warehouses rose on Friday and started this week just over the 64,800 tonne level. Cancelled warrants also fell to the 35% range. Nickel closed below the $15,000/tonne level on Friday and so far today, that level remains in the rear view mirror, as nickel continues to slump. No one knows the reason why, but we guess this has much to do with China and economic fears for that country. The Hong Kong situation is getting out of hand and forcing China's hand to react. How they do so could have a big effect on how future trade negotiations proceed. Everyone knows it and China, so far, has taken a hands off approach. This is risky as it could embolden anti-Communist groups inside mainland China. As it stands, there are signs the trade war is hurting China's economy. Make sure you take 15 minutes and watch the 60 Minutes special linked below. For those interested in future sources of nickel and who will be the players, its worth your time. Last week ended with nickel in the negative, and starts this week the same. We hope your week is much more of a positive experience.
  
• Average price of LME traded cash nickel so far this month - $7.24/lb
  
• Average price of LME traded nickel in first half of 2019 - $5.59/lb / 2018 - $5.95/lb / 2017 - $4.73/lb / 2016 - $4.36/lb /

  Reports

• Reuters metals morning - Copper rises for second session as market eyes U.S.-China trade deal - more
  
• Reuters Daily Inside Metals - pdf here  
• SMM Evening Comments - more
• Reuters The Day Ahead - pdf here

  Commodity/Economic Comments

• China Stainless Steel Scrap Market News / Price - more
• Scotiabank Reports - more
• Baltic Dry Index - (chart)
• Stainless steel: The role of nickel - here
• Alloyed for Lasting Value video - here
• Self Repairing for Lasting Value video - here
• Bushfires threat to New Caledonia's tourism, agriculture and biodiversity - more
• WATCH hundreds of drones create dreamlike spectral planes at Chinese air show - more
• Sumitomo Metal says on track for FID on Pomalaa nickel project by end-March - more
  
• U.S. Futures Rise as Stocks Are Mixed; Pound Gains: Markets Wrap - more

     Friday's market review - Base metals suffer weekly losses demand outlook worsens - Copper and other base metals prices were set for weekly falls on Friday as concerns that weakening global economic growth is curtailing demand outweighed comments by a U.S. official that a trade deal with China was close. - more

      China may add 7 million tons of stainless steel capacity in next 3 years - According to the statistic from China, the total production growth of stainless steel in China had increased strongly, especially in the 300 series. - more

      Why the U.S. is missing out on the race to mine trillions of dollars worth of metals from the ocean floor - 60 Minutes special - video here

     Could there be a second Sudbury mining camp? - An exploration company probing for nickel and other base metals on the outer fringes of the Sudbury Basin is claiming a “breakthrough” on one of its properties. - more

      The looming electric car battery waste mountain - More than a million electric cars were bought globally in the first half of this year, the same number sold across the whole of 2017.  - 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)
• India MCX Nickel Price - more  more
• 100 Years of Stainless Steel Video - online here
• 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's Abridged Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing (7:00 AM CST is 12 PM in London)

• Nickel closed Thursday's trading session at $6.86/lb  ($15,120/tonne). Indicators at 7:00 am CST today show nickel trading around $.05/lb  lower. Stockpiles of nickel stored in LME licensed warehouses rose on Thursday and started the day just under the 64,600 tonne level. Nickel continues its fall, although its bearish pace picked up steam this week. If little changes before close today, nickel will have lost over $1000/tonne this week. It appears much of the concern in the commodity world is based on China's economic slowdown, although nickel's may be magnified by a slow down in the electronic vehicle industry as well. Demand might be dented, but as we have seen in recent months, so has supply. We have 46 days left till Indonesia stops exporting nickel ore, which will affect China's so called pig nickel production. How China will react and the actual effect on supply remains to be seen. We are at the end of a week, and half way thru a month. WE hope each of you has a safe and relaxing weekend and invite you to drop by next week.
• Average price of LME traded cash nickel so far this month - $7.28/lb
  
• Average price of LME traded nickel in first half of 2019 - $5.59/lb / 2018 - $5.95/lb / 2017 - $4.73/lb / 2016 - $4.36/lb /

  Reports

• Reuters metals morning - Base metals head for weekly falls as demand outlook worsens - more
• Reuters Daily Inside Metals - pdf here  
• SMM Evening Comments - more
• Reuters The Day Ahead - pdf here
• U.S. Economy in a Snapshot - more
• Merrill Capital Market Outlook - pdf here
• Saxo Commodity Outlook - pdf here
• Australian Nickel Quarterly - more
  

     Thursday's market review - Copper slides to two-week low as China data hits sentiment - Copper prices fell to two-week lows on Thursday as weak manufacturing and investment data from China fuelled concerns about demand in the top consumer and expectations of lower interest rates in the United States receded. - more

      Stainless steel price in US remains flat in Nov - According to the market news, most of the stainless steelmakers in the US decided to flat their price for November, mainly caused by the high material price since the nickel export ban policy had announced by the Indonesia government this August. - more

      Australian M&A target Panoramic flags output woes at nickel mine, shares dive - Metals miner Panoramic Resources Ltd said on Thursday that production at its key Savannah nickel project would fall short of guidance for fiscal 2020, prompting its shares to post their biggest drop in nearly four years. - more

• Nickel closed Wednesday's trading session at $6.98/lb ($15,380/tonne). Indicators at 6:15 am CST today show nickel trading  unchanged this morning. Stockpiles of nickel stored in LME licensed warehouses fell by only a few tonnes yesterday and started the day just under 64,200 tonnes today. At the moment, LME nickel is struggling to trade, bu there have been unsuccessful attempts to take the price higher. While the rest of the commodity board looks bullish this morning, nickel continues its recent struggles. BHP announced last night that chief executive Andrew Mackenzie will retire at the end of the year and 53 year old Mike Henry will take over as head of the mining company. Indonesia sources are now reporting a government anti-monopoly board is investigating some smelters in that country for "cartel practices". Trying to follow what has been going on in that country the last few weeks is enough to make a person dizzy. Did we mention the newly reelected President announced his intention to move the capital out of Jakarta recently? And if you have ever wanted to live in Australia, Ravensthorpe may want you.  
• Average price of LME traded cash nickel so far this month - $7.32/lb
  
• Average price of LME traded nickel in first half of 2019 - $5.59/lb / 2018 - $5.95/lb / 2017 - $4.73/lb / 2016 - $4.36/lb /

  Reports

• Reuters metals morning - Copper prices tick up, more China stimulus expected - more
  
• Reuters Daily Inside Metals - pdf here  
• SMM Evening Comments - more
• Reuters The Day Ahead - pdf here

  Commodity/Economic Comments

• China Stainless Steel Scrap Market News / Price - more
• Scotiabank Reports - more
• Baltic Dry Index - (chart)
• Stainless steel: The role of nickel - here
• Alloyed for Lasting Value video - here
• Self Repairing for Lasting Value video - here
• Stocks Struggle Amid Trade News, Mixed Growth Data: Markets Wrap - more

     Wednesday's market review - Copper slips after Trump threat of more China tariffs - The price of copper and other base metals slipped on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened more tariffs on China, disappointing investors keen for a trade deal. - more

      Vale Manitoba Operations head believes there is an ore body equivalent to a new mine near Thompson - A proposed $1 billion investment in Vale’s Thompson mines in the next five years could generate nearly $8 billion in economic activity over the next 45 years, the company’s head of Manitoba Operations told the Thompson Chamber of Commerce Nov. 13. - more

      350 jobs still up for grabs as Ravensthorpe Nickel mine moves to reopen - First Quantum Minerals has appointed Mauritiana-based Anthony Mukutuma to head up the restart of the Ravensthorpe nickel mine. - 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)
• India MCX Nickel Price - more  more
• 100 Years of Stainless Steel Video - online here
• 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

  Daily Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing (7:00 AM CST is 12 PM in London)

• Nickel closed Tuesday's trading session at $7.02/lb ($15,475/tonne). Indicators at 6:15 am CST today show nickel trading around $.01/lb  lower. Stockpiles of nickel stored  in LME approved warehouses fell on Tuesday and started the day just under the 64,200 tonne level. Nickel prices continue to fall and while some news outlets are reporting it is due to traders skepticism toward the trade talks, we do not agree. As mentioned before, nickel entered a bearish cycle on September 1st, after ending a bullish cycle that started July 1st. The trade talk situation was just as bad in July and August than they are now, so while the trade talks may affect traders on a short term basis, the longer term cycles seem to dismiss the situation. And they seem to be dismissing the supply and demand cycle of nickel consumption as well. Electronic vehicles are not experiencing a stellar year in sales in the United States, but in the rest of the world they continue to grow respectfully. Chinese officials announced stainless steel production rose over 4% in October, so nickel demand remains strong among stainless steel producers. There is a question about some of the 'demand' being questionable and warehouse withdrawals being  performed less on demand, and more on the appearance of demand, and while  manipulation of the market is always a possibility, we suspect its effect on supply is minimal. We read where many conspiracy theories were discussed during LMEWeek dinners so if the people 'in the know' don't know, it is hard to imagine the rest of us will figure it out. 
  
• Average price of LME traded cash nickel so far this month - $7.35/lb
  
• Average price of LME traded nickel in first half of 2019 - $5.59/lb / 2018 - $5.95/lb / 2017 - $4.73/lb / 2016 - $4.36/lb /

  Reports

• Reuters metals morning - Copper trips lower after disappointment over Trump speech - more
  
• Reuters Daily Inside Metals - pdf here  
• SMM Evening Comments - more
• Reuters The Day Ahead - pdf here

  Commodity/Economic Comments

• China Stainless Steel Scrap Market News / Price - more
• Scotiabank Reports - more
• Baltic Dry Index - (chart)
• Stainless steel: The role of nickel - here
• Alloyed for Lasting Value video - here
• Self Repairing for Lasting Value video - here
• Stocks Slide as Investors Weigh Trade; Bonds Gain: Markets Wrap - more
  

     Tuesday's market review - Copper weakens ahead of Trump speech on trade - Copper fell to a one-week low on Tuesday ahead of a speech by U.S. President Donald Trump in which he is expected to announce a delay in auto tariffs and provide clues about the direction of the wider U.S-China trade war. - more

      China’s total stainless steel production grows 4.3% y-o-y in Oct - According to the news, the total production of stainless steel in China this October was around 2.4 million tons, decreased by 2.7% month on month, but increased by 4.3% year on year. - more

      Ni SUS Scrap Price in Early November JPY115,000 to JPY120,000 = Price is lowered continuously in late October and at beginning of November = As of November 6, the stainless steel mills in the Kanto area purchase nickel-containing stainless steel scraps (SABOT) at JPY115,000 to JPY120,000 per ton (delivered at plant). (Hereinafter, the price is per ton) - more

• Nickel mining companies agree to support ore export ban - more
  

      Talon wants an integrated nickel mine that supplies America’s battery industry  -  Talon Metals announced that it recently commissioned a test program to develop a process whose objective would be to produce nickel sulphates at the Tamarack project, located 85 km west of Duluth. - more

      Zimbabwe to enforce "use it or lose it" policy for mining assets - Zimbabwe will vigorously enforce a policy to force companies to develop their mining assets and not keep the land for speculative purposes, mines minister Winston Chitando said on Wednesday. - 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)
• India MCX Nickel Price - more  more
• 100 Years of Stainless Steel Video - online here
• 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

  Daily Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing (7:00 AM CST is 12 PM in London)

• Nickel closed yesterday's trading session at $7.06/lb ($15,565/tonne). Indicators at 6:20 am CST today show nickel trading around $.07/lb  lower. Stockpiles of nickel stored in LME licensed warehouses rose slightly on Monday and started today's session just over the 65,400 tonne level. Nickel continues to fall and is testing a major support level. Back in late August, a bullish run that nickel had started in mid-June, paused from August 15th to August 27th, before spiking sharply to its 2019 high.  We are now trading at the bottom of that 'pause', and  falling below this level, will send another negative signal to the market. We told you last month we were following the new stainless steel contract being traded on the Shanghai Futures Exchange, and after closing at 15,855 on September 24th, it closed last evening at 14,385. Its been in a slow negative trend ever since the contract was introduced, and could be reflective of a new contract trying to find its feet. Cancelled warrants continue to fall and fell to the 41% range yesterday. They were in the 60% range when LME announced it was starting to investigate why so much inventory was leaving the warehouses - just a few weeks ago. Does make one wonder, doesn't it? With Indonesia not changing its mind on a daily basis, there is much less news this week than last. We leave you with what we found.
  
• Average price of LME traded cash nickel so far this month - $7.40/lb
  
• Average price of LME traded nickel in first half of 2019 - $5.59/lb / 2018 - $5.95/lb / 2017 - $4.73/lb / 2016 - $4.36/lb /

  Reports

• Reuters metals morning - Nickel heads for 7th straight drop as supply concerns ease - more
  
• Reuters Daily Inside Metals - pdf here  
• SMM Evening Comments - more
• Reuters The Day Ahead - pdf here

  Commodity/Economic Comments

• China Stainless Steel Scrap Market News / Price - more
• Scotiabank Reports - more
• Baltic Dry Index - (chart)
• Stainless steel: The role of nickel - here
• Alloyed for Lasting Value video - here
• Self Repairing for Lasting Value video - here
• Plug-in's share out of overall BMW/MINI volume was almost 7% - more
  
• British Steel to be sold to Jingye Group - more
  
• Stocks Rise Amid Trade-War Lull; Treasuries Drift: Markets Wrap - more
  

     Yesterday's market review - Copper slides as China data weighs on sentiment - Copper prices slipped on Monday as weak data from top consumer China reinforced poor demand and growth prospects, with the prolonged U.S.-China trade dispute undermining economic activity globally. - more

      Ramu security blocks slurry spill investigators - Security guards at Papua New Guinea's Ramu Nickel Mine have denied access to scientists and medical practitioners investigating a toxic slurry spill in Morobe Province. - more

      Courtesy AISI - In the week ending on November 9, 2019, domestic raw steel production was 1,862,000 net tons while the capability utilization rate was 80.5 percent. Production was 1,903,000 net tons in the week ending November 9, 2018 while the capability utilization then was 81.2 percent. The current week production represents a 2.2 percent decrease from the same period in the previous year. Production for the week ending November 9, 2019 is down 1.4 percent from the previous week ending November 2, 2019 when production was 1,888,000 net tons and the rate of capability utilization was 81.6 percent. - 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)
• India MCX Nickel Price - more  more
• 100 Years of Stainless Steel Video - online here
• 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

  Daily Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing (7:00 AM CST is 12 PM in London)

• Nickel closed Friday's trading session at $7.35/lb ($16,190/tonne). Indicators at 6:20 am CST today show nickel trading around $.17/lb . Nickel closed down $10/tonne on Friday, $.26/lb lower than it had closed the prior Friday. After the Fed eased recession concerns last week, attention has shifted back to the trade war, with the simplest rumor sending the market in responsive directions. Friday, the news was about the lifting off tariffs as a condition of an agreement, and so far today, this appears to be a continual sticking point, with the market responding negatively.  This may or may not explain why nickel is lower sharply this morning, but the commodity board as a whole, is a sea of red this morning. The Strait Times reported over the weekend that Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan told them in a Friday interview that a majority of the ore shipped from Indonesia over the last few months did not comply with export regulations. Deni Sur Jantoro, spokesman of the Indonesian General Administration of Customs, told Chinese media on October 31st, that the newest export ban was caused by an investigation into seven export companies. But today, Reuters is reporting only nine companies of the approximate eleven (it was 30 last week) exporters in the country, have been allowed to resume shipments. Even the Jakarta Post, the biggest paper in Indonesia, is expressing some frustration this morning with a headline "Govt flip-flops on nickel ban". For a country begging for investment into the country, this inability to be consistent, or forthcoming, is sending warning signals to investors.  Nickel is starting the week bearish, which in the short term isn't good for producers or users, but in the long term could be good news for the stainless steel industry. Why the market is bearish in the face of dropping inventory numbers remains to be revealed, but in the mean time, we leave you with the news and our hopes you have a great week.
  
• Average price of LME traded cash nickel so far this month - $7.44/lb
  
• Average price of LME traded nickel in first half of 2019 - $5.59/lb / 2018 - $5.95/lb / 2017 - $4.73/lb / 2016 - $4.36/lb /

  Reports

• Reuters metals morning - Nickel declines as inventories rise, Indonesia resumes exports - more
  
• Reuters Daily Inside Metals - pdf here  
• SMM Evening Comments - more
• Reuters The Day Ahead - pdf here
• SFSA Casteel Reporter - more
• Thyssenkrupp AG 9 month report - more
  

  Commodity/Economic Comments

• China Stainless Steel Scrap Market News / Price - more
• Scotiabank Reports - more
• Baltic Dry Index - (chart)
• Stainless steel: The role of nickel - here
• Alloyed for Lasting Value video - here
• Self Repairing for Lasting Value video - here
• China says U.S. will, and must, cut tariffs to reach a trade deal - pdf here
  
• Stocks Decline as Hong Kong Adds to Trade Worries: Markets Wrap - more
  

     Friday's market review - Aluminium falters after touching near two-month peak - Aluminium prices slipped from near two-month peak on Friday  as analysts warned that producers were on the sidelines ready to hedge. - more

      PNG and international scientists denied access - Papua New Guinea scientists and medical practitioners engaged by the national government and working together with the International Scientists on the Ramu Mine spill were denied access to the Ramu Nickel mine site..... - more

      Nickel tycoon's family dramas put $110m estate in limbo - Millie Phillips was once the richest woman in Australia but now her “quarrelsome personality” has led to a court battle over the 90-year-old's refusal to sign a will covering her estate, estimated to be around $110 million. - more

      Is China locking up Indonesian Nickel? - As it has done with cobalt, graphite and rare earths, China appears to be locking up the nickel market.
Nickel’s top producer, Indonesia, in early September decided to accelerate a scheduled ban on ore export shipments, from 2022 to January 1, 2020. - 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)
• India MCX Nickel Price - more  more
• 100 Years of Stainless Steel Video - online here
• 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

  Abbreviated Friday Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing (7:00 AM CST is 12 PM in London)

• Nickel closed Thursday's trading session at $7.35/lb ($16,200/tonne). Indicators at 6:20 am CST today show nickel trading less than $.01/lb higher. Stockpiles of nickel stored in LME licensed warehouse fell on Thursday and started the day just under the 66,100 tonne level. The news this week slowed in the latter half, and except for the news from Indonesia, which changes, is denied, and then later confirmed, the nickel industry has been rather quiet this post 'LME Week' - week. Nickel fell on Monday and has traded sideways since. Trade talk rumors are flying fast and free, with equity markets apparently betting they are more true than not. This is the final update for the week, and we hope each of you has a safe and entertaining weekend, and invite you back next week.
  
• Average price of LME traded cash nickel so far this month - $7.46/lb
  
• Average price of LME traded nickel in first half of 2019 - $5.59/lb / 2018 - $5.95/lb / 2017 - $4.73/lb / 2016 - $4.36/lb /

  Reports

• Reuters metals morning - LME copper eases on mixed trade signals, tepid China data - more
  
• Reuters Daily Inside Metals - pdf here  
• SMM Evening Comments - more
• Reuters The Day Ahead - pdf here
• Mincor Resources Presentation - pdf here
• Talon Metals Presentation - pdf here
• US Exports of Stainless Steel Mill Products - more
  

     Thursday's market review - Copper hits highest in more than two months on trade war progress - Copper rose on Thursday to its highest in more than two months after China said it had agreed with the United States to cancel tariffs imposed during a protracted trade war in phases, reviving hopes for an end to the conflict and a boost in demand for metals. - more

• Indonesia's daring electric dream - more
  

  Daily Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing (7:00 AM CST is 12 PM in London)

• Nickel closed Wednesday's trading session at $7.37/lb ($16,245/tonne). Indicators at 6:20 am CST today show nickel trading around $.02/lb  higher. Stockpiles of nickel stored in LME licensed warehouses fell slightly on Wednesday and started today's session just under the 66,500 tonne level. Nothing in the news today except more about Indonesia, and frankly, we are tired of the mixed signals coming from the country. No one seems to know what is going on and those who do, seem to change their minds quite frequently. News this morning is different than was being posted last evening, and today's news will probably be wrong by the time we post our update. For those interested in the long term condition of the nickel industry, the fact they have decided to block exports of nickel ore effective January 1, 2020 is really all we need to know. Those who are still invested in Indonesia nickel mining companies are probably interested in what happens daily over the next eight weeks, but we suspect there are fewer of those remaining. Back to London nickel trading, and what effectds all of our readers, nickel fell on Monday, and since then has entered a choppy up and down pattern, trading as low as near 16,150 to as high as around $16,400 per tonne. The fundamentals remain bullish, but for some reason the market entered a bearish phase around October 10th, and hasn't been able to hit the gas since.  Stainless steel producers and users are not complaining and welcome the break,  but the seeming disconnect between the fundamentals and trading price has many scratching their heads. Until tomorrow.
  
• Average price of LME traded cash nickel so far this month - $7.48/lb
  
• Average price of LME traded nickel in first half of 2019 - $5.59/lb / 2018 - $5.95/lb / 2017 - $4.73/lb / 2016 - $4.36/lb /

  Reports

• Reuters metals morning - Copper slips as possible delay of U.S.-China trade deal weighs - more
  
• Reuters Daily Inside Metals - pdf here  
• SMM Evening Comments - more
• Reuters The Day Ahead - pdf here
• Commodity Monthly Monitor - pdf here
• U.S. Imports of Stainless Steel Mill Products - more
• LME Warehouse Reform 2019 - more
  

  Commodity/Economic Comments

• China Stainless Steel Scrap Market News / Price - more
• Scotiabank Reports - more
• Baltic Dry Index - (chart)
• Stainless steel: The role of nickel - here
• Alloyed for Lasting Value video - here
• Self Repairing for Lasting Value video - here
• Stocks Rise as China Spurs Trade Hopes; Bonds Slip: Markets Wrap - more
  

     Wednesday's market review - Lead slips to 3-week low as Chinese production rises - Lead prices fell on Wednesday as rising stockpiles in China and falling premiums for nearby material on the London Metal Exchange (LME) pointed to a better supplied market.  - more

      Indonesia ore ban to hit China nickel pig iron, stainless steel output – analysts -  A ban on nickel ore exports from Indonesia will sharply reduce top buyer China’s output of stainless steel raw material nickel pig iron (NPI) and have a knock-on effect on production of the corrosion-resistant metal itself, analysts said on Wednesday. - more

      Indonesia investment chief to meet firms about nickel ore exports next week -  Indonesia investment board chief Bahlil Lahadalia said on Thursday that he would hold a meeting with nickel companies next week to discuss the resumption of nickel ore exports. - more

• Accelerated nickel export ban may causes losses for entrepreneurs - more
• (Background on temporary halt)  Stopping nickel export spree  - more       
• Seven companies investigated over alleged nickel export violations - 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)
• India MCX Nickel Price - more  more
• 100 Years of Stainless Steel Video - online here
• 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

  Daily Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing (7:00 AM CST is 12 PM in London)

• Nickel closed Tuesday's trading session at $7.38/lb ($16,280/tonne). Indicators at 6:20 am CST today show nickel trading around $.01/lb  lower. Stockpiles of nickel stored in LME licensed warehouse fell by about the same amount it rose on Friday and started the day just under the 66,600 tonne level. Not a lot to talk about today.  Well, maybe there is, and maybe there isn't. Knowing what is actually going on in Indonesia has become a total crap shoot. Yesterday we read the temporary ban on ore shipments in Indonesia was being lifted on a case by case basis. Today, SMM reports no such agreement has been made. Our Indonesia news source appears to be quiet on this situation but we found this in today's Jakarta Post buried in a larger article. "Luhut backed a gentlemen’s agreement between BKPM chairman Bahlil Lahadalia and nickel miners to bring forward the ore export ban from the Jan. 1, 2020 deadline, although the Energy Mineral Resources Ministry, which is the rightful authority to handle such policy, has yet to issue any regulation." But an article from last week in the same paper does refer to the government's 'temporary" ban on exports. So, we will give you what we see on Indonesia, with a warning not to trust anything you read about Indonesia and nickel. Hopefully, when the full ban starts at the end of the year, it will all become far less confusing. Light news day.
  
• Average price of LME traded cash nickel so far this month - $7.50/lb
  
• Average price of LME traded nickel in first half of 2019 - $5.59/lb / 2018 - $5.95/lb / 2017 - $4.73/lb / 2016 - $4.36/lb /

  Reports

• Reuters metals morning - Copper scales seven-week peak on trade deal hopes - more
  
• Reuters Daily Inside Metals - pdf here  
• SMM Evening Comments - more
• Reuters The Day Ahead - pdf here

  Commodity/Economic Comments

• China Stainless Steel Scrap Market News / Price - more
• Scotiabank Reports - more
• Baltic Dry Index - (chart)
• Stainless steel: The role of nickel - here
• Alloyed for Lasting Value video - here
• Self Repairing for Lasting Value video - here
• Asperam Q3 Results - pdf here
  
• New Caledonia to Vote to Split From France in Sept 2020 - more
  
• Stocks Drift Amid Mixed Earnings; Treasuries Gain: Markets Wrap - more
  

     Tuesday's market review - Copper scales seven-week peak on trade deal hopes - Copper climbed to a seven-week high on Tuesday as hopes of a U.S.-China trade deal prompted bearish investors to buy back positions. - more

      Nickel Is Hot Right Now - The Nickel Boom May Have Just Begun - This article first appeared in Trend Investing on September 5, 2019; therefore all data is as of that date. - 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)
• India MCX Nickel Price - more  more
• 100 Years of Stainless Steel Video - online here
• 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

  Daily Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing (7:00 AM CST is 12 PM in London)

• Nickel closed Monday's trading session at $7.43/lb   ($16,380/tonne). Indicators at 6:15 am CST today show nickel trading around $.05/lb lower. Stockpiles of nickel stored in LME licensed warehouses rose slightly yesterday and started today's session just under the 69,500 tonne level. Look to $7.28.lb as major support, that being the low nickel hit on the 22nd of October. That is the lowest nickel has traded at since it "peaked" on September 2nd, after a bullish run that started the final days of 2018.  So far, 2019 has been a story of quarters. Quarter one was bullish, followed by a bearish quarter 2. Quarter 3 was super bullish, and quarter 4 has leaned bearish so far. Word coming from Indonesia that authorities there have started to release ore shipments after they are inspected. This on again, off again, export ban has apparently turned out to be nothing more than all exports were temporarily halted until they are checked for proper paperwork, in an effort to stifle illegal export shipments. Shippers were anxious the shipments were released quickly before a permanent ban is set to begin in eight weeks. Another busy day on the news front so we leave you with them.
  
• Average price of LME traded cash nickel so far this month - $7.56/lb
  
• Average price of LME traded nickel in first half of 2019 - $5.59/lb / 2018 - $5.95/lb / 2017 - $4.73/lb / 2016 - $4.36/lb /

  Reports

• Reuters metals morning - LME copper set for 3rd straight daily gain on supply worries - more
  
• Reuters Daily Inside Metals - pdf here  
• SMM Evening Comments - more
• Reuters The Day Ahead - pdf here

  Commodity/Economic Comments

• China Stainless Steel Scrap Market News / Price - more
• Scotiabank Reports - more
• Baltic Dry Index - (chart)
• Stainless steel: The role of nickel - here
• Alloyed for Lasting Value video - here
• Self Repairing for Lasting Value video - here
• Corkscrew design pushes architectural boundaries - more
• Revenge Of The Steel Maker; China’s Internal Tariff War Turns Nasty - more
  
• China Wants U.S. to Drop Tariffs on $360 Billion of Imports for Trade Deal - more
  
• U.S. Futures Gain With Stocks; Treasuries Retreat: Markets Wrap - more

     Monday's market review - Copper firms on hopes for trade deal, China data - Copper prices extended gains on Monday, boosted by hopes of a resolution to the protracted trade conflict between the United States and China. - more

      Japan’s stainless steel imports & exports both decline in H1, 2019 - According to the official report from Japan, the total imports of stainless steel products to Japan in the first half of this year was about 116,000 tons, decreased by 17.2% year on year. - more

      Sherritt lowers Ni, Co output expectations: Correction - Nickel and cobalt producer Sherritt reduced its 2019 production guidance from its Ambatovy joint venture in Madagascar because of operating setbacks in the third quarter. - more

      EU argues case against Trump's metal tariffs at WTO - The European Union argued on Monday for the withdrawal of tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on metal imports in one of the most high-profile and potentially explosive cases to come to the World Trade Organization (WTO). - more

      China's GEM eyes nickel, cobalt output from Indonesia by August 2020 - Chinese battery firm GEM Co Ltd expects to start trial production at its Indonesian nickel and cobalt plant in August 2020, with the first phase of operations up and running by the end of the year, its president said on Tuesday. - more

      Courtesy AISI - In the week ending on November 2, 2019, domestic raw steel production was 1,888,000 net tons while the capability utilization rate was 81.6 percent. Production was 1,887,000 net tons in the week ending November 2, 2018 while the capability utilization then was 80.5 percent. The current week production represents a 0.1 percent increase from the same period in the previous year. Production for the week ending November 2, 2019 is up 1.2 percent from the previous week ending October 26, 2019 when production was 1,866,000 net tons and the rate of capability utilization was 80.7 percent. - more

      Vale CEO dismissed warning before deadly Brazil dam disaster - Vale SA’s top managers received an anonymous email warning about the state of the miner’s dams two weeks before a deadly disaster, a note that prompted the chief executive to pursue the writer’s identity and call the person a “cancer,” a police document 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)
• India MCX Nickel Price - more  more
• 100 Years of Stainless Steel Video - online here
• 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

  Daily Nickel/Stainless Steel Briefing (7:00 AM CST is 12 PM in London)

• Nickel closed yesterday's trading session at $7.61/lb   ($16,775/tonne). Indicators at 6:15 am CST today show nickel trading around $.05/lb lower. Stockpiles of nickel stored in LME licensed warehouses rose sharply on Friday and started this first full week of November just under the 69,200 tonne level. Nickel closed higher on Friday, but is back down again today, continuing its sideways trend. If you rarely read the articles we post below, we suggest you read at least one - it's marked below as a recommended read. It explains where a lot of the nickel leaving the LME warehouses has been heading. It also discusses what was going on at the LME Week meetings and dinners last week and all the conspiracy theories being floated. What is interesting about this, is these are the people presumably "in the know" and if they are sitting around making up and debating theories on why things are the way they are in the nickel industry, how is the buyer supposed to have any idea? Or how does the downstream stainless steel buyer supposed to make long range plans? The good news in the article is that these big players have no better idea than the little guy, so while trading remains tilted in the favor of the big money, the little guy has an equal opportunity to score big - or lose big. Lot to read below so we leave you to it. It's a new month, and presents new opportunities. Have a great week.
  
• Average price of LME traded cash nickel so far this month - $7.76/lb (average for October)
  
• Average price for October 2019 - $3.25/lb chromium , $10.79/lb molybdenum , $1.04/lb iron
  
• Average price of LME traded nickel in first half of 2019 - $5.59/lb / 2018 - $5.95/lb / 2017 - $4.73/lb / 2016 - $4.36/lb /

  Reports

• Reuters metals morning - LME aluminum hits over 6-week peak on supply fears - more
  
• Reuters Daily Inside Metals - pdf here  
• SMM Evening Comments - more
• Reuters The Day Ahead - pdf here
• PUC Battery Metals Report - pdf here
• The Australian Mining Review - pdf here
• Scotiabank Commodity Price Index - pdf here
• Metals Outlook October 2019 - pdf here
  

  Commodity/Economic Comments

• China Stainless Steel Scrap Market News / Price - more
• Scotiabank Reports - more
• Baltic Dry Index - (chart)
• Stainless steel: The role of nickel - here
• Alloyed for Lasting Value video - here
• Self Repairing for Lasting Value video - here
• Iron ore prices to be 'quite a bit lower' next year; steel to moderate: Citi - more
  
• US-China trade accord will require three phases - White House adviser - more
• Australia's Independence chases more nickel with $216 million bid - more
  
• Trade deal hopes boost stocks as recession fears recede  - more
  

     Yesterday's market review - Copper pushes higher after Chinese data, downside risks remain - Copper clawed higher on Friday after upbeat Chinese manufacturing and U.S. jobs data, but uncertainty about global growth and trade tensions will likely weigh on the market, analysts said. - more

      China's stainless steel crude steel output increases 10.5% in Q1-Q3 - According to the statistics, the Chinese stainless steel crude steel total output in the first nine months of this year was around 22 million tons, increased by 10.5% year on year. - more

• Indonesia nickel ore export ban hits supramax rates - more
  

      Mnangagwa adviser’s company buys biggest Zimbabwe nickel miner - Control of Bindura Nickel Corp, Zimbabwe’s biggest nickel operation, has been sold to a company linked to an adviser of President Emmerson Mnangagwa. - 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)
• India MCX Nickel Price - more  more
• 100 Years of Stainless Steel Video - online here
• 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

Price of Nickel

MEPS Stainless Steel Price Index