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Chinese economic data shows extent of coronavirus hit

  • Spanish Market: Metals
  • 16/03/20

China's economic activity slowed sharply during January-February as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, but the country's national bureau of statistics (NBS) said second-quarter activity should pick up significantly.

Industrial output during January-February fell by 13.5pc from a year earlier, well below the 6.9pc growth in 2019, NBS data released today showed. China releases the data for the first two months of the year combined to remove the volatility around the lunar new year holiday.

China's urban unemployment rate rose to 6.2pc in February, with 1.08mn jobs created in urban areas during January-February.

Infrastructure investment fell by 30.3pc during January-February. Beijing fast-tracked bond issues in late 2019 to front-load projects in early 2020, although restrictions to halt the virus spread put most large-scale projects on hold. Infrastructure investment is expected to rebound quickly after provinces approved key projects in early March.

Fixed asset investment fell by 24.5pc during January-February, down from 5.4pc growth in 2019.

The economy is rebounding this month and these gains will continue in the second quarter, said NBS spokesman Mao Shengyong.

"After March especially in the second quarter, there will be more improvement in the recovery of production and living conditions," Mao said. More than 95pc of industrial companies of a certain size, excluding Hubei, have resumed operations, he said. Hubei, and its provincial capital Wuhan, were the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak.

China's housing markets also slumped with key indicators showing large falls. Real estate construction investment fell by 16.3pc from a year earlier. Residential construction investment by area fell by 16pc. Property sales by area dropped by 39.9pc, while sales by value fell by 35.9pc. Land transactions by area fell by 29.3pc and fell by 36.2pc by value.

But even with the softness in real estate markets, government policy will not change, with no stimulus for real estate markets in the near future, the NBS said. Beijing has sought to prevent an overheating of its housing markets.

Auto production, a key driver of flat steel demand, fell by 45.8pc during January-February, down sharply from 8.1pc growth in 2019. This matches industry data that showed January-February falls in auto sales of 44pc and production at 50pc.

January-February rail, ship, aerospace and other transportation equipment manufacturing fell by 28.2pc, wider than the 6.8pc fall in December.

The unemployment rate has risen as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, but it should ease in the second half of the year as production restarts and job demand increases, Mao said. China will ensure the overall stability of employment this year by supporting businesses and employees, Mao said.

But the spread of the coronavirus overseas is increasing uncertainty, so "we must continue to do a good job in the prevention and control of the epidemic situation, and we must not relax," Mao said.


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31/10/24

First northwest European HRC options trade on CME

First northwest European HRC options trade on CME

London, 31 October (Argus) — Options contracts settled against the Argus northwest European hot-rolled coil (HRC) index traded today for the first time since their launch on the CME Group exchange more than two years ago. An option on the northwest European HRC contract on CME (EHR) traded today at a premium of €20/t for the right to buy a strip for the first quarter of 2025 (50 lots or 1,000t of January, February and March) at €700/t. Options are a financial contract offering the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying asset — in this case the EHR futures contract — for a specific price at a specific point in time. The right to buy is called a call option; the right to sell a put option. The buyer pays a premium to have this right, which is typically used to protect against an adverse market move. The Argus northwest European HRC index stood at €558.75/t on Wednesday, while the January-March futures contracts are currently trading at about €620/t, putting the call option above the current spot market price and forward curve for the contracts in question. Market participants suggested the trade could be part of a ‘short collar' strategy, in which someone who is ‘long' on the underlying futures contract (trading on anticipation of an upwards move) buys a put option (the right to sell at an agreed price) to protect their long position for a premium, but then sells a call option to receive a higher premium to offset the cost of the put. CME Group launched the EHR futures contract in March 2020. Since then more than 3.6mn t of steel futures have traded, with more than 1mn t this year alone. Open interest — a measure of liquidity measuring the volume of open contracts — currently stands at a record high of more than 230,000t. Options were added in May 2022. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US economy grows by 2.8pc in 3Q, led by consumers


30/10/24
30/10/24

US economy grows by 2.8pc in 3Q, led by consumers

Houston, 30 October (Argus) — The US economy grew by an annualized 2.8pc in the third quarter, led by consumer and government spending and exports. Gross domestic product (GDP) growth slowed from 3pc in the second quarter, the Commerce Department reported today. Personal consumption grew at a 3.7pc pace, up from 2.8pc in the second quarter and 3.5pc a year earlier. Today's GDP estimate is the first of three for the quarter, and comes in slightly below analyst estimates in a Trading Economics survey of 3pc growth. The latest figure marks a 10th quarter of GDP growth since a 1pc contraction in the first quarter of 2022. It comes ahead of a closely fought presidential election on 5 November in which the health of the economy is a major issue. Exports grew by 8.9pc in the latest quarter compared with 1pc in the second quarter. Imports, which subtract from growth, grew by 11.2pc. Government spending, including investment for defense, rose by 5pc following 3.1pc growth in the second quarter. Private domestic investment slowed to 0.3pc growth from 8.3pc growth. Residential investment fell by 5.1pc, as the housing market remains in a downturn, after declining by 2.8pc in the second quarte r. By Bob Willis Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US Ni: Cathode premiums under pressure


24/10/24
24/10/24

US Ni: Cathode premiums under pressure

Houston, 24 October (Argus) — The US 4x4inch cathode spot premiums for refined nickel dropped this week as demand from stainless steel consumers remained soft. Nickel premiums for full truckload melting grade 4x4inch cathodes were assessed at 60-65¢/lb, down from 65-70¢/lb, while premiums for briquettes were assessed unchanged at 30-35¢/lb from last week. Nickel prices have been volatile on the London Metal Exchange (LME) recently, falling to a 30-day low this week. The official three-month LME nickel settled at $16,280/metric tonne (t) on Thursday, down by 3.6pc from $16,880/t on 17 October. Specialty stainless steel demand is expected to be soft for the balance of the year. Spot nickel market has been quiet, with most consumers requirements were mostly satisfied with annual contracts. Sources reported 4x4inch off cuts from Indonesia were offered to US consumers at a reduced rate. The US is not necessarily a preferred destination for Indonesia nickel due to transportation delays and payment terms. Global nickel stocks in LME warehouses increased by 1.1pc to 135,816t, from 134,322t a week earlier. The LME nickel daily cash month-to-date average for October is $17,101/t ($7.76/lb), compared with the full month September average of $16,117/t ($7.31/lb). Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Q&A: Aço Brasil to ask for steel tariff adjustment


24/10/24
24/10/24

Q&A: Aço Brasil to ask for steel tariff adjustment

Sao Paulo, 24 October (Argus) — Little has changed in the Brazilian steel market after nearly four months of a new tariff system intended to curb the increase of imported products. January-September imports rose by 24pc from the same period a year ago, totaling 4.6mn metric tonnes (t), surpassing what was expected for the full year. The tariffs, hailed by some market participants as missing the mark , was followed by other government measures, such as temporary antidumping measures and antidumping reviews. Industry group Aço Brasil's executive president Marco Polo de Mello Lopes spoke to Argus about the recent measures taken by the Brazilian government. This interview has been translated from Portuguese and edited for clarity. The government's June decision imposed a quota system for importers, along with a tariff increase. How does Aço Brasil see that decision's effects now? We are only four months into the tariff quota system. We have been following everything with a very large magnifying glass and we have some concerns. The tariff quota system has not brought the expected reduction [to import volumes], though it is too early to reach a conclusion. But it brought a change in the trend of what had been happening. At the beginning of the year there was an increase in products in general, but when you check June, July, August and September, you see that imports are decreasing every month. As we had a very high first half, we did not reach what was expected in terms of imports. So far, we see that we have not achieved the reduction objective, but we have achieved the objective of stopping the escalation in relation to these imports. What are Aço Brasil's main concerns with the June policy? It was identified that there was an increase in imports from Egypt and Peru. Egypt has a preferential agreement in relation to what would be a Mercosur-Egypt agreement. We are already evaluating to see what to do specifically regarding the fact that imports are increasing using the trade agreement umbrella. Another area of great concern is the excessive volume of imports that are entering through Manaus [the capital of northern Amazonas state]. It is strange that imports have increased without corresponding [demand] growth [at] the industrial park in Manaus. We continue monitoring to hold new meetings with the government. Brazil's executive management committee of the chamber of foreign trade (Gecex) last week ruled on the tariff increase for some steel products regardless of the import volume, unlike the first decision by the committee earlier this year. What is Aço Brasil's view on that decision? We understand that it is positive — it means there is recognition from the government that there are predatory imports that cause great concern in the sector. It couldn't have been any other way. So [we see it as a] very positive [measure]. The claim that had been made since the beginning was a 25pc [tariff hike]. It was always 25pc because it is what the world has been practicing. If the government approves it, it is within what was expected. What are the next steps for Aço Brasil to improve the situation for Brazilian steelmakers? We will certainly make requests to change the system. We are going to make some kind of movement, but it cannot be done now because there is already an [established] system. Imagine if companies that invested and spent energy and obtained a quota then had the government saying that they no longer have a quota, and could not challenge the decision in the courts. Any changes that may be made must be made following the renewal process of the current system, which would be in June 2025. By Carolina Pulice Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Boeing workers reject labor deal, extend strike


24/10/24
24/10/24

Boeing workers reject labor deal, extend strike

Houston, 24 October (Argus) — Striking Boeing employees spurned a tentative labor deal struck between the aircraft maker and union leadership, continuing a costly work stoppage that has halted production of the company's flagship 737 MAX aircraft, along with its 767 and 777 widebody programs. Up to 64pc of factory workers backed by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) on Wednesday voted to reject the company's offer, which promised a 35pc general wage increase spread over four years and increased company retirement account contributions. That pay raise, while an improvement over Boeing's first offer of 25pc, ultimately fell short of the 40pc increase sought by workers. Another sticking point centered around the return of employees' pension plans, which was not included in the latest proposal. Boeing had no comment on the vote's outcome. Ending the strike has been the priority of new Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg, who assumed the leadership position in August. The five-week work stoppage likely has cost the company $4.5bn based on the latest estimates from Anderson Economic Group and has forced Boeing to delay its goal of increasing 737 MAX build rates to 38/month by the end of the year. The company reported a third quarter loss of $6.2bn on revenues of $17.8bn. The strike's continuance also will exacerbate slowdowns within Boeing's supply chain, which "it turned off in many cases" because of the labor action. The company confirmed it had stopped shipments from certain suppliers, effectively shutting them down and forcing some to announce furloughs — including at its shipset supplier Spirit Aerosystems . Boeing is keeping other suppliers running "hot," either because the company felt some were behind on shipments or because risks were too great to shut them down. That latter group likely includes titanium melters, whom Boeing wants to keep operating at high levels to meet demand requirements for when the aerospace manufacturer increases ramp rates starting in 2025. Still, several market participants within the titanium value chain have expressed concerns to Argus that an extended strike could disrupt future scrap generation in the US, saying there remains enough inventoried material in the pipeline to cover near-term demand. It remains to be seen when negotiations between Boeing and union leadership will resume. The most recent round of talks were mediated by Julie Su, the acting secretary of the US Labor Department. By Alex Nicoll Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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