EUROPEAN MORNING BRIEF 13/12: SHFE tin prices subdued; global ali premiums generally steady; Glencore to double copper output at Katanga

Good morning from Metal Bulletin’s office in Shanghai as we bring you the latest news and pricing stories on Wednesday December 13.

Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were broadly higher during Asian morning trading on Wednesday, with only tin prices bucking the uptrend. However, gains across the rest of complex were limited with investors taking a cautious stance ahead of the conclusion of the US Federal Open Market Committee’s two-day meeting later today.

Check Metal Bulletin’s live futures report here.

LME snapshot at 02.22am London time
Latest three-month LME Prices
  Price
($ per tonne)
 Change since yesterday’s close ($)
Copper 6,667 4
Aluminium 2,018.5 2.5
Lead 2,507.5 -9.5
Zinc 3,145 -12
Tin 19,065 -100
Nickel 11,150 -20

SHFE snapshot at 10.23am Shanghai time
Most-traded SHFE contracts
  Price
(yuan per tonne)
 Change since yesterday’s close (yuan)
Copper  52,180 110
Aluminium 14,255 5
Zinc 25,110 145
Lead 19,200 45
Tin  134,880 -2,460
Nickel  89,870 260

Global aluminium premiums generally stayed firm in the week to Tuesday December 12, with only the South Korean premiums showing any kind of movement thanks to main Japanese ports (MJP) deals for the first quarter being made at higher levels than the previous quarter. Click here to view our latest weekly global aluminium wrap.

Glencore plans to double copper production from its Katanga mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo over the course of the next two years, with expectation of 150,000 tonnes of copper produced in 2018, and 300,000 tonnes produced in 2019.

MJP primary aluminium stocks fell by 2% month on month in November to 234,900 tonnes.

The US Midwest aluminium spot premium has stayed unchanged at 9.25-9.5 cents per lb for the fifth week in a row, with the spot market seeming to fall into a lull ahead of the Christmas holiday.

A three-week strike at Southern Peru Copper Corp has ended as union workers returned to their duties on Tuesday December 12.

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