December 11, 2021 – An interesting week with some back and forth on the commodity markets and falling nickel inventories. Good news for steel demand in China through new financial instruments for the real estate sector. Good news from the US manufacturing sector and lower than expected US inflation overall. And the week rounds off with billions in investments from the semiconductor industry.
Markets start the week with movement
December 6, 2021 – Commodity markets started the week with movement. The news tennis is exciting, as it tries to influence market sentiment – sometimes in the negative, sometimes in the positive direction. Overall, however, the figures look positive. And it is again worth looking not only at the headlines, but also at the actual text of some press releases. And the European Commission has taken the necessary steps to lift the punitive tariffs against the United States on 1 January 2022.
LME nickel inventories down by 59% since April 2021
December 7, 2021 – Nickel inventories on the LME have already fallen by more than 59% in 2021. And about 50% of the remaining inventories are already reserved. Indian aluminium is expected to become scarce and expensive. While European CO2 emissions have risen by 18%, CO2 emissions in China have fallen. Evergrande is getting government support in the form of a government risk management task force.
China strengthens steel demand for 2022 – Is the next boom coming now?
December 8, 2021 – The Chinese government has issued new fiscal and monetary guidelines to strengthen domestic demand, especially in the real estate sector. This should fuel steel and stainless steel demand in 2022. Is the next steel boom coming now? EU Carbon Border Tax faces growing criticism. SHFE Base Metals majority up. Stainless steel prices down slightly due to seasonal factors – take chances now.
US manufacturing sector continues to grow in Nov 2021
December 9, 2021 – Manufacturing in the US continued to grow for the 18th consecutive month. This is shown by data from the Manufacturing ISM Report for November 2021. Scrap prices for stainless steel are keeping strong. Aluminium production in China holding steady, but demand expected to pick up. Chinese stainless steel producers enter maintenance soon.
8.8 bn EUR, record investment in automotive chips sector
December 10, 2021 – Record investment in the automotive chips sector. LME and SHFE are moving sideways today. Nickel is expected to rise to $ 21,000 to $ 21,500 per tonne in 2022. China increasingly dependent on bauxite imports. And price increases for raw materials.
We at the Gerber Group have been trading in stainless steel worldwide for over 20 years. We are your experts when it comes to purchasing, import, logistics and services. Information is a vital part of this. Because only then can you and we make the right decisions. Do you have any questions? Contact us now.
Disclaimer: Many things here represent our opinion. Others are information from the Internet. We can therefore never claim to be correct or complete. And never base a business decision solely on the news you receive from us.
