U.S. Magnesium plans big Utah production expansion

A new ruling by the International Trade Commission that determined China and Russia have dumped magnesium into the United States should pave the way for a massive expansion of U.S. Magnesium's plant in Rowley. The ruling by the ITC and the U.S. Department of Commerce last week will allow U.S. Magnesium to benefit from nearly $50 million in capital improvements made to its Rowley plant over the past five years, according to the company. And just as importantly, it will allow the company to boost its annual production of magnesium from 43,000 tons to approximately 55,000 tons by the end of this year, U.S. Magnesium spokesman Lee Brown said. "Once unfair trade is removed from the marketplace we'll be able to compete with anyone." U.S. Magnesium, the last remaining primary producer of magnesium left in the country, along with the United Steelworkers of America Local 8319 and the Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Workers International Local 374, last year filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Commerce alleging that Russian and Chinese exporters were dumping their product into the domestic market at less than fair value. They blamed those imports for pushing down the price of magnesium by 40%. A year-long investigation established that U.S. Magnesium's complaints were true and the government soon will impose additional duties ranging from 50% to more than 140% for each ton of magnesium shipped into the United States from China. Russian producers will face additional duties ranging from approximately 19% to 22%. The purpose of the anti-dumping duties is to offset the unfair competitive advantage foreign exporters enjoy as a result of selling their products in the United States at less than fair value, said Joseph Dorn, a Washington, D.C.-based attorney that represented the company and unions in the trade case. Before those anti-dumping duties can be imposed, though, the orders establishing the additional import duties need to be published in the Federal Register, which should occur in early April. "These duties will help preserve the industry's production base in this country," Dorn said. Brown said at the very least the duties will help preserve the jobs of U.S. Magnesium's approximately 400 employees and secure the company's future. Magnesium, which is primarily used to produce aluminum alloys that are stronger than the pure metal, currently sells on the spot market for approximately $1.50 per pound.

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Chinese strategic adjustment of the steel business enterprise gets into a key period

Development's need to steel of the Chinese economy increases continuously, pushing steel profession to invest a fast growth thus.2002 －s accompany with the fast growth that the Chinese steel invests in 2006, steel yield from 1,800,000,000 of 2002 tons, surge to 418,700,000,000 tonses of 2006.Satisfied development's need to steel of the Chinese economy, and basic the reformation completed steel industry a modernization.From 2003 every year degrees steel material clean import 36,240,000 tons, carry out up to 2006 clean export 34,460,000 tons, the average year increases to export 23,560,000 tons.Pushed the historic variety of the structure adjustment and steel material import and export situation of steel industry, also created a condition for the internationalization management of the Chinese steel business enterprise.If say Chinese economy of rising arouse an international steel industry to come out the predicament that several years go back and forth, so Chinese steel material export's increasing quickly continuously for several years was a Chinese steel business enterprise confidence to live ages opportunity, satisfying an international demanding growth of the market steel material in quickly the reformation development, ising economy for world of the steady movement did of contribution.

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The development process of domestic and international magnesium and application progress

The development process of magnesium
In 1775, the mankind discovered the compound of magnesium.
In 1886, Germany chases a magnesium application in the industrial realm first.

In 1909, Germany appeared a magnesium metal alloy 铸 piece first.

In 1916, American way house chemistry the company start producing an electrolysis magnesium.

1927~1930 years, the car of German production average each one uses 73.8 kilogram magnesium metal alloys.

1936~1940 years, the German public's car(Brazil) company produces of"shell insect" car of crankcase, spread to move a box of hull body total amount to use 40,000 ton magnesium metal alloys.

1948~1962 years, the United States adopts hot room to die-casting the millions piece magnesium of the machine gave birth to die-casting a piece to be provided for car to use.

70's in 20 centuries, the magnesium metal alloy material price ups, applying to get difficulty.

80's in 20 centuries, the noise of shouting mightiness of the car reducing in weight, the magnesium die-castings an application increment.

The mid 90's in 20 centuries, the magnesium yield increases greatly at first, price and aluminum are close by, die-castinging a craft technique an equipments perfect, the magnesium application turns into a mature stage, the development speed is unprecedented.

In 1991, the global car die-castings a piece 25,000 tons with the magnesium.

In 1995, the global car die-castings a piece 56,000 tons with the magnesium.

In 2000, the global car die-castings one to be close to 150,000 tons with the magnesium, having 80% that the global magnesium die-castings a piece.

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The magnesium metal alloy expansion application can lower car oil to consume to exhaust with tail spirit

A magnesium metal alloy from the United States expert predicts that from now on some years, each average car in the world, the magnesium metal alloy dosage will attain 120 kilograms, this will make the car reduce heavy 500 kilogramses, lowering car oil to consume thus and consumedly with the tail spirit exhaust quantity.Currently, the global magnesium metal alloy die-castings a piece growth rates to keep in 15% levels continuously for several years in the car, is current and the new industry is a little bit bright in the future.The carriage weight lowers 10%, oil's consuming can lower 6% to 8%, the fuel efficiency can raise 5.5%, the noise can also lower 2 decibels.Therefore, the magnesium metal alloy has ability to make car reducing in weight, the extension magnesium metal alloy will become solving a petroleum resources to lack to become one of the warm important solutions with global weather tightly in the application in the pileup.The Chinese car engineering masters reputation chairman of the board a piece a cheerful industry to say, our country is enhancing transportation economy energy to reduce a row management, control high consume oil, high pollution automobile development.Car and other applications that the pileup industry should extend magnesium metal alloy this high strength light metals material to carry out economy energy to reduce a row target.This becomes Chinese magnesium industry and industrial realization independent creative important opportunity of the car motorcycle, also is a graveness challenge.

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SilMag to provide alternative magnesium supply for hot market

Magnesium smelter, SilMag of Norway starts former Norsk Hydro's Porsgrunn plant in 2011 at annual 35,000 tonnes output through the acquisition from Hydro.

SilMag launches secondary magnesium alloy production at annual 15,000 tonnes in 2009.

The firm tries to expand the operation to compete with Chinese suppliers under the surging international market. – Japan Metal Bulletin

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European antimony market quiet but firm

Three weeks ago, Chinese suppliers reduced antimony ingot offers by about USD50-100/t, and the price kept stable since then.
Asianmetal(English) http://www.asianmetal.com 9J3L
A European trader told Asian Metal that he lost a deal when offered 99.65%min low bismuth antimony ingot at USD6,350/t CIF Rotterdam. "Market is very quiet, and it will remain quiet because summer holiday is already here."
The trader feels that it is difficult to get in touch with consumers now because the price is high, and consumers are not yet ready to accept the higher prices. "The offers we get from Chinese suppliers are at around USD6,300/t CIF Rotterdam, and the European consumers are asking at the same price, so there is no profit margin."

Another trader confirmed the price at around USD6,300/t CIF Rotterdam for 99.65%min low bismuth antimony ingot and USD6,200/t CIF Rotterdam for 99.65%min standard grade two antimony ingot. "Market is very quiet because of the high prices, and also the summer holiday."
Asianmetal(English) http://www.asianmetal.com 0XGS
The trader told Asian metal that many consumers are already on summer vacations, and the normal production will not be recovered until the end of August or beginning of September. "So antimony market is likely to keep quiet for the next two month," said the trader, who holds that the price is likely to drop slightly by the beginning of August.

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Lead Falls to 16-Month Low in London After Stockpiles Double

July 2 (Bloomberg) - Lead fell to the lowest in 16 months on the London Metal Exchange after stockpiles more than doubled, indicating oversupply. Copper rose to the highest in more than two months.

LME-tracked inventories have more than doubled this year, piling up at warehouses in Europe, Asia and the U.S. and signaling the market will switch into a surplus, according to Michael Widmer, an analyst at Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.

"One important reason is seasonally weak demand," Widmer said today by phone from London. "The market looks relatively well supplied at the moment."

Lead for delivery in three months fell $57, or 3.2 percent, to $1,708 a metric ton as of 4:51 p.m. The contract earlier traded at $1,695, the lowest intraday price since Feb. 14, 2007. All LME-traded metals declined, paced by a slide in zinc.

Lead, mostly used in car batteries, has fallen 32 percent this year, the biggest decline on the LME. Supply will exceed demand by 30,000 tons this year, widening further next year, Widmer said.

Zinc fell as much as 3.8 percent to $1,854.75 a ton, the biggest intraday loss since June 19. Zinc and lead have the same oversupply problem, Widmer said.

Copper rose to the highest in more than two months on concern that a strike would spread in Peru and hurt supply from the world's third-largest source of the metal. The benchmark contract added $107.50, or 1.3 percent, to $8,720 a ton, the highest intraday price since April 23.

Miners from Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.'s Cerro Verde copper mine voted to join the nationwide strike in Peru today, according to Luis Castillo, general secretary of the Mining Federation. Copper has gained 2.3 percent since the protest, the third in less than 14 months, began June 30.

Copper Stockpiles

Copper inventories monitored by the LME rose 0.1 percent to 122,475 tons, taking this year's decline to 38 percent. Including those monitored by exchanges in New York and Shanghai, stockpiles totaled 164,787 tons, or 3.2 days of global consumption, Bloomberg calculations showed. Last year's average was 4.9 days.

Among other LME-traded metals, aluminum increased $40 to $3,195 a ton. Nickel lost $300 to $21,250 a ton and tin fell $400 to $23,200.

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