Steel
Overview
The price indices in our Argus Ferrous Markets and Argus Global Steel services are widely used by companies in physical supply contracts around the world – for iron ore, coking coal, hot-rolled coil (HRC) and ferrous scrap.
Many of them are used as the settlement prices for cash-settled futures contracts launched by exchanges to allow users of the derivatives who also transact in the physical market to minimize basis risk while hedging. These cash-settled monthly futures contracts are settled against the arithmetic mean of all the published Argus prices during each calendar month.
Using indices allows companies to trade material on an index-linked basis, not only via fixed-prices sales. This offers significant advantages when prices are volatile, yet the modern finished steel market remains primarily transacted on a fixed price basis. The addition of futures markets offers opportunities to enhance supply chain resilience further.
Latest steel news
Miners Vale, BHP advance Fundao dam collapse deal
Miners Vale, BHP advance Fundao dam collapse deal
Sao Paulo, 21 October (Argus) — Brazilian mining company Vale and BHP are advancing negotiations for an agreement with Brazil over the 2015 collapse of the Samarco Fundao iron ore tailings dam. Both companies are negotiating the definitive terms of the resolution, following several offers and counteroffers over the months. The agreement includes a R170bn ($30bn) payment, Vale said on 18 October. The two have already paid R38bn of the sum, while R100bn would be paid in installments over 20 years to Brazil's federal government, the Espirito Santo and Minas Gerais states and their municipalities, and the remainder would be disbursed under performance obligations by Samarco, a joint venture between ore miner Vale and BHP, including "initiatives for individual indemnification, resettlement, and environmental recovery." In a separate statement, BHP stressed that Samarco would be the primary party bound to the settlement obligations, and that BHP Brasil and Vale are each "secondary obligors of any obligation that Samarco cannot fund or perform." Vale noted that the negotiations are ongoing, and that no final agreement has been signed. Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in September the government expected to reach an agreement with the companies by October. Vale and BHP have been facing claims from hundreds of victims of the collapse of the dam, located in Minas Gerais state, that killed 19 people and caused environmental damage in the region in 2015. Analysts at BTG Pactual bank said that the agreement's resolution would cause investors' focus "to shift back toward Vale's operational performance, which has been improving." By Carolina Pulice Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Stainless steel prices stabilise but downside remains
Stainless steel prices stabilise but downside remains
London, 21 October (Argus) — European finished stainless steel prices stabilised over the past two weeks on projected supply tightness following Spanish stainless steel producer Acerinox's decision to curtail production at its Acerinox Europa plant in Los Barrios, Cadiz, Spain, alongside a maintenance-related stoppage at Finnish producer Outokumpu. Trading companies surveyed by Argus said prices were in a downward trajectory in the first week of October, but were no longer falling and even heard to be marginally increasing in Germany on better demand prospects. The Argus assessment for stainless steel 304 cold-rolled 2mm sheet delivered northwest Europe (NWE) for October fell by €150/t on the month to €2,700-2,750/t. Prices were declining sharply from this level at the beginning of this month but have since settled back close to this range, trading companies said. Demand remains low in most regions, with few transactions having been reported over the past week, but an unexpected uptick in interest from buyers in Germany has driven a small price increase in the country. This support is expected to be temporary as the market prepares for a challenging final quarter. Trading firms said service centres are postponing purchases until next year, except for small pockets of demand. In raw materials, stainless steel scrap prices saw a surprise increase last week because of mounting export interest despite low domestic steelmaker demand. The Argus assessment for stainless steel scrap 304 (18-8) solids cif Rotterdam rose by 4.72pc week on the week to €1,210-1,230/t, with the corresponding assessment for 316 scrap rising by 4.5pc to €2,200-2,240/t. Early indications this week indicate prices are expected to fall back to the level of two weeks ago, as mills continue to pile the pressure on sellers. Demand for ferro-alloys from the steel industry has been tepid in recent weeks, with most steel companies relying on their existing term contracts. Market participants told Argus that high ferro-molybdenum prices, supported by rising material costs and greater demand from Asia, are putting pressure on European steelmakers. Producers have been trying to maximise their production by focusing on lower-margin steels, but this strategy can lead to shrinking profitability, a trading firm said. Few enquiries for ferro-molybdenum truckloads have been made this month, with delivery delays having been reported at German and Italian plants. Despite the low demand, ferro-molybdenum prices have held relatively steady, averaging $51.10/kg over the past month. An increase in Indian ferro-chrome exports to Europe over the first six months of this year led to excess supply on mainland Europe, pushing down prices in the early autumn to the benefit of European steel mills. Indian ferro-alloy sellers moved aggressively to gain market share and offered material at low levels in September. Sellers, seeking to move material out of European warehouses, have shown themselves to be willing to conclude transactions with slim margins to shed stock. Prices of high-carbon ferro-chrome 65pc Cr fell by 8pc over the course of September, with further declines having been registered since the beginning of October as Kazakh and Indian producers slashed offers. The majority of long-term contracts for next year will be concluded in the coming weeks, at which point many market participants expect ferro-chrome prices to rebound. Argus assessed high-carbon ferro-chrome 65pc Cr at $1.30-1.50/lb ddp NWE on 17 October, down by 15pc from $1.60-1.70/lb ddp on 3 September. The wider demand outlook for stainless steel raw material prices remains pessimistic for the rest of this year. "We might see steel plants closing down for the winter period sooner and come back to production later due to low order books," a European ferro-alloy trading firm told Argus . By Roxana Lazar, Maeve Flaherty and Raghav Jain Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Boeing, union reach tentative deal to end strike
Boeing, union reach tentative deal to end strike
Houston, 19 October (Argus) — Aerospace manufacturer Boeing and union leadership negotiating on behalf of more than 32,000 of the company's machinists reached a tentative labor agreement Saturday that, if approved, would end a five-week strike that has halted production of several aircraft programs. Factory workers backed by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) will decide on 23 October whether to ratify the new contract, Boeing and the union said. Only a simple majority — 50pc plus one — will be needed to determine the outcome of the vote. The new deal includes a general wage increase (GWI) of 35pc spread over four years and a ratification bonus of $7,000, both up from 25pc and $3,000, respectively, from Boeing's initial offer from 8 September. The company also would bring back its incentive plan and increase employee retirement benefits. It remains to be seen whether workers will approve the agreement after overwhelmingly rejecting Boeing's first proposal, which included a 25pc GWI, by a vote of 95pc. Union leadership urged consideration of the offer, saying "it warrants presenting" to members. Boeing said it looked forward to its employees voting on the negotiated proposal. The work stoppage, which began 13 September, has paused output of Boeing's flagship 737 Max aircraft, along with its 767 and 777 programs. The company announced it would be laying off 10pc of its workforce and would delay first deliveries of its new 777-9 commercial jet — part of its new 777X widebody family — as a result of the strike and other operational challenges. Recent estimates from Anderson Economic Group put Boeing's losses at $4.5bn over the course of the strike. Costs to the company's suppliers were estimated at nearly $1.8bn in the same time frame. Spirit Aerosystems, which Boeing is in the process of reacquiring, said on Friday that beginning 28 October it planned to start furloughing 700 employees who work on the 767 and 777 programs. Spirit produces shipsets for those aircraft and no longer has storage capacity to warehouse new production, having built up "significant inventory" because of the strike. By Alex Nicoll Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Automakers seek €200/t price cut from EU coil mills
Automakers seek €200/t price cut from EU coil mills
London, 18 October (Argus) — Buyers in the automotive supply chain are seeking price cuts of €200/t from EU mills for 2025 annual deals. The gap between the annual 2024 contracts and current spot market levels has reached an unsustainably large delta, automotive-facing service centres told Argus. Some automakers are paying as much as €250/t more than general industrial buyers, a figure that they want to reduce dramatically. Argus ' daily northwest EU HRC index was €551.50/t on 17 October, down by €198/t since early February, while the daily Italian index was €545.50/t, down by €208.50/t. Some service centres said automakers may even push for shorter-term deals as a result, but they often reduce their volume offtake and postpone deliveries when required, which some call a built-in 'call option' — a call-option gives buyers the ability to purchase if the market reaches what they view as an agreeable price. Automakers at present are delaying call-offs, which has exacerbated the supply and demand imbalance for steelmakers looking to churn out high volumes to secure carbon credit allowances for next year. One service centre said it is budgeting for a €100/t drop as mills are trying to maintain rollovers, with little support from the market environment. One large buyer called the recent increases in EU a "dead cat bounce", with little support from demand. Mills might manage to stem the declines to about €75/t, another said, which would still leave automotive deals at a hefty premium to spot market levels. One mill executive called the automotive demands "impossible", suggesting momentum would strengthen in the coming weeks as buyers look to procure first-quarter supply. A reduction in import volumes, existing anti-dumping investigations and other potential cases could contribute to this, alongside an expected cut in EU supply in the new year. Some automakers last year pushed to move to index-linked deals that would enable them to hedge their coil exposure on CME Group's north European hot-rolled coil contract. Automakers have been hedging their aluminium exposure for years and want to do the same for steel. If mills deem the market to be at its low, indexed deals could be a more attractive proposition this year. By Colin Richardson Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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Browse the latest thought leadership produced by our global team of experts.
Moving target: Using an index to track volatile steel prices
Flat steel prices have experienced unprecedented volatility since 2020. Against this backdrop, an increasing number of buyers have started to link their purchasing to price indexes.
WhitePaper - 16/05/24Argus launches six new HRC cif Italy origin differentials
The market for importing hot-rolled coil (HRC) to the EU is being driven by a growing number of external factors that are widening differentials for prices from various origins, creating the need for new price assessments that improve transparency for an increasingly complex market.
WhitePaper - 04/02/24Hydrogen’s role in decarbonising steel production
The steel industry is a global colossus. Each year 6 billion tonnes of steel and steelmaking materials are moved around the world by truck, rail and ship. Despite a relatively light per tonne carbon footprint, the sheer size of the boot means the sector accounts for 7-9% of global CO2 emissions.
Explore our steel products
FOB China HRC
The rise of the Chinese steel market has moved in lock-step with the development of the country’s economy. Crude steel output soared since the start of the millennium and that spurred raging raw material demand, which upended the coking coal and iron ore markets.
By 2012, China had established itself as a source of steel without peer, and while export volumes have moderated since then, China still exerts the dominant influence over Asia’s steel pricing.
In March 2019, the London Metal Exchange (LME) launched a new FOB China HRC futures contract to help market participants to manage their price risk. The contract is settled against the monthly average of the daily price assessments published in our Argus Ferrous Markets and Argus Global Steel services, and it has rapidly established itself as the most successful finished steel futures launch to-date.
European HRC
Current European steel capacity is most densely concentrated in an area encompassing parts of France, Germany and Benelux. While capacity has rationalized, the European industry has proven resilient throughout decades of change and faces the problems of raw material and finished goods price volatility as well as globalized price competition.
Steel prices remain regional by nature and, like Asia, Europe is only beginning to experiment with steel price indexation. To support market participants with their price risk management, CME Group launched a North European HRC futures contract in March 2020. The LME has announced plans to launch their own N. Europe HRC futures contract in late 2020.
Argus has been selected as the provider of choice by both exchanges, and both futures contracts will be settled against the monthly average of the daily Argus price assessments provided in our Argus Ferrous Markets service.
CFR Taiwan Ferrous Scrap
The US East Coast and Europe look to Turkey to set bulk scrap price direction. Conversely, the US West Coast & Japanese supply looks to Taiwan to set container scrap price direction, which sets wider Asian scrap pricing.
Container markets parcel sizes are more liquid and frequently-traded markets, and the LME has launched a new Steel Scrap CFR Taiwan futures contract in July 2021 to support market participants hedge their risk.
Argus has been selected as the provider of choice by both exchanges, and both futures contracts will be settled against the monthly average of the daily Argus price assessments provided in our Argus Ferrous Markets and Argus Global Steel service.