[SMM Cobalt Market Flash] Shirley, VP de SMM: el cobalto MHP de Indonesia aumentará a medida que la oferta global transita hacia un modelo de doble centro

LME nickel prices and China's stainless steel futures strengthened this week, but the positive impact on trading volumes and market prices remained limited, with sluggish sales across Asia, Europe, and the US. In Chinese Taiwan, downstream buyers struggled to absorb June price increases from upstream mills, adopting a wait-and-see stance with most transactions concluded at May price levels, pressuring local distributors. India, by contrast, held steady, supported by demand from the automotive, industrial equipment, and infrastructure sectors. With BIS import restrictions eased through October, downstream manufacturers have grown more accepting of rising raw material costs, and end users are gradually absorbing the increased pricing pressure.

LME nickel futures edged down just USD3 on June 2 to close at USD19,248/ton, firmly defending the USD19,200 threshold despite a minor pullback from a recent one-month high. Nickel is up USD186 this month and 15.6% year-to-date. LME inventories fell 1104 tons to 275,340 tons (-0.15% MTD), with Indonesian MHP output declines adding to supply tightness. While firm US labor data rekindled Fed inflation concerns, steady Chinese stainless steel demand and declining stockpiles offset seasonal supply increases from the Philippines, keeping nickel positioned for narrow-range stability.

Aperam, productor de acero inoxidable con sede en Luxemburgo, ha aumentado los recargos de aleación para sus productos planos de acero inoxidable austenítico en Europa para junio, con vigencia a partir del 1 de junio de 2026. El recargo para el grado 304 subió a 2.365 EUR/tonelada desde 2.243 EUR/tonelada en mayo; el 316L aumentó a 4.056 EUR/tonelada desde 3.813 EUR/tonelada; y el 309S subió a 3.192 EUR/tonelada desde 3.020 EUR/tonelada. El grado ferrítico 409 fue contra la tendencia con una ligera disminución a 917 EUR/tonelada desde 921 EUR/tonelada.