IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from January 29

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday January 29 that are worth another look.

Sentiment in the seaborne iron ore and Asian steel markets has deteriorated amid a rapid spread of the 2019-nCoV – or Wuhan novel coronavirus – in China, which appears to have intensified in the last week.

Primary aluminium stocks at the main Japanese port of Nagoya declined by 8% month on month at the end of December 2019, according to data released by major Japanese trading house Marubeni Corp.

Copper premiums in Europe were stable in the week ended Tuesday January 28 after a drop in the three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange failed to stimulate demand for the metal.

The low price of lithium and cost overruns on junior projects have made investors cautious about the sector, creating doubt about whether lithium juniors will be able to access capital and ensure a supply of lithium in the years ahead.

The Rotterdam uncut nickel cathode and US nickel briquette premiums rose in the week to January 28 on firmer demand for the former and weaker supply for the latter, while premiums in China held firm with participants out of the market for the extended Lunar New Year break.

What to read next
The publication of Fastmarkets’ Shanghai copper premiums on Monday December 23 were delayed because of a reporter error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated.
Fastmarkets proposes to amend the frequency of the publication of several US base metal price assessments to a monthly basis, including MB-PB-0006 lead 99.97% ingot premium, ddp Midwest US; MB-SN-0036 tin 99.85% premium, in-whs Baltimore; MB-SN-0011 tin 99.85% premium, ddp Midwest US; MB-NI-0240 nickel 4x4 cathode premium, delivered Midwest US and MB-NI-0241 nickel briquette premium, delivered Midwest US.
The news that President-elect Donald Trump is considering additional tariffs on goods from China as well as on all products from US trading partners Canada and Mexico has spurred alarm in the US aluminium market at a time that is usually known to be calm.
Unlike most other commodities, cobalt is primarily a by-product – with 60% derived from copper and 38% from nickel – so how will changes in those markets change the picture for cobalt in the coming months following a year of price weakness and oversupply in 2024?
Copper recycling will become increasingly critical as the world transitions to cleaner energy systems, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a special report published early this week.
Fastmarkets proposes to lower the frequency of its assessments for MB-AL-0389 aluminium low-carbon differential P1020A, US Midwest and MB-AL-0390 aluminium low-carbon differential value-added product US Midwest. Fastmarkets also proposes to extend the timing window of these same assessments to include any transaction data concluded within up to 18 months.