IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from October 3

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday October 3 that are worth another look.

Ukrainian steel billet producer Dneprovskiy Dzerzhinsky Metallurgical Plant (DMKD) has decided not to resume operations in part of its main production facility after a maintenance outage, due to the crisis in the global steel market, the company announced on Wednesday October 2.

Fastmarkets looks at the key takeaways from the annual Fastmarkets North American Ferro-alloys conference in Chicago on September 25-27.

India’s federal government has mandated that state governments in the country extend the iron ore mining leases of state-owned companies in blocks of up to 20 years if such applications are made at least 12 months prior to their expiry.

While copper cathode sellers welcomed the news that Chilean miner Codelco was raising its annual US copper cathode premium for 2020 supply, consumers expressed skepticism about the increase.

The increase in global freight rates caused by tighter emissions control regulations is putting pressure on steel product exporters already facing reduced demand and falling raw materials and steel prices, Fastmarkets has learned.

What to read next
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.