Silicon social inventories shrank on steep declines in arrivals

Industeel, part of ArcelorMittal had recently updated its October stainless alloy surcharges. 316L/316LN fell 0.9% MoM to €3,684/t, 316LMo 0.7% to €4,115/t, 317L 0.7% to €4,758/t and 904L 1.0% to €6,768/t. 2205+ and 2507 were nearly flat at €3,724/t and €4,389/t, while UR 254 eased to €7,147/t. The schedule excludes energy surcharge.

Semtech said in its Aug. 25 earnings presentation that its data-center photonics portfolio spans gain chips, high-power CW lasers, SOAs and high-speed photodiodes, while it has secured FY2027 equipment deliveries and acquired additional cleanroom space. Semtech acquired HieFo in March, adding US-based InP gain-chip and DFB-laser manufacturing. Q2 FY2027 data-center sales reached $100 million, up 39% QoQ and 91% YoY; Q3 sales are targeted to rise 45% QoQ and 160% YoY. SMM believes the buildout supports medium-term demand for InP and high-purity indium, although no nameplate capacity or indium consumption was disclosed.

Global chrome ore departures totaled 642,500 mt in the week ended October 2, down 2.74% week-on-week, according to SMM's latest data. The modest headline decline masks a significant reshuffling beneath the surface, as a sharp rebound at Maputo was offset by pullbacks at Richards Bay and Mersin. Maputo departures rose to 488,800 mt from 340,200 mt, a 43.68% increase that lifted the port's share of total departures back to roughly 76% from about 51.5% a week earlier, reversing the prior week's shift toward a more distributed export mix. Richards Bay fell to 95,700 mt from 227,800 mt, a 57.99% decline that gave back the bulk of the prior week's rebound, while Mersin eased 31.52% to 58,000 mt from 84,700 mt. Beira again recorded no chrome ore departures, remaining inactive for a fourth consecutive week. The week's data points to a reversion toward the more Maputo-concentrated flow pattern seen through most of August and September, with the prior week's broader distribution across ports proving short-lived. Whether Richards Bay's pullback reflects a one-off after an unusually strong prior week or a return to its more intermittent loading pattern will be worth monitoring in the coming weeks.