IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from August 12

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Monday August 12 that are worth another look.

The main works at China Hongqiao Group were reported to have suffered from severe flooding caused by Super Typhoon Lekima, Fastmarkets learned, but the company has denied claims that it has been forced to stop production.

Nyrstar’s Port Pirie lead smelter in South Australia has incurred another production setback and its TSL furnace will be closed “for a number of weeks” for repairs, the company confirmed to Fastmarkets.

Peru’s Matarani port remained partially closed on Friday August 9 amid an indefinite strike being carried out in the southern province of Islay, making copper concentrate exports intermittent, according to multiple sources.

Investors are optimistic of the future of Brazilian mining under the new federal government and there should be new opportunities in the industry, Appian Brazil chief executive officer Paulo Castellari told Fastmarkets.

The London Metal Exchange has extended the consultation period on the issue of using electronic closing prices until September 30, 2019.

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After a consultation, Fastmarkets is increasing the publication frequency of its non-exchange-deliverable equivalent-grade (EQ) copper cathode premium, CIF Shanghai, from once a week to twice a week.
New plans to introduce block trades for bilaterally negotiated transactions on the London Metal Exchange are aimed at enhancing liquidity and transparency without harming the exchange’s core physical user base, chief executive officer Matthew Chamberlain told Fastmarkets.
The London Metal Exchange has unveiled a series of proposals which, if successful, could accomplish what it failed to achieve close to a decade ago: bringing the investment community into the fold.
The primary aluminium premium for duty-unpaid units in Rotterdam edged higher in the week to Tuesday September 3, while the wider European market found continued support from high replacement costs and tight nearby inventories despite slow consumer demand.
Market participants are converging on Bali in Indonesia for the Fastmarkets International Critical Minerals & Metals Summit (ICMMS) on September 5 and 6, so ahead of the event, we capture the main themes facing the global nickel market.
Fastmarkets has amended the MB-NI-0256 nickel low-carbon briquette premium, cif global to include all shapes of exchange deliverable Class 1 nickel metal.