Macquarie: China Production Costs Will Determine The Direction Of LME Nickel Prices

  • Tuesday, April 9, 2024
  • Source:ferro-alloys.com

  • Keywords:nickel, ore, steel, ferronickel, electrolytic nickel
[Fellow]Macquarie said that the cost of producing low-grade nickel pig iron (NPI) in China will be the key to determining nickel prices. Nickel prices on the London Metal Exchange (LME) are down 45% in 2023 and are under further pressure.

[Ferro-Alloys.com] 

Macquarie: China Production Costs Will Determine The Direction Of LME Nickel Prices

Macquarie said that the cost of producing low-grade nickel pig iron (NPI) in China will be the key to determining nickel prices. Nickel prices on the London Metal Exchange (LME) are down 45% in 2023 and are under further pressure.

If there are more supply cuts globally, prices will rise in the second half of 2024,  Macquarie analyst Jim Lennon said.

Over the past few years, nickel pig iron prices have been determined by the price movement of the LME nickel contract.
 
That relationship weakened in 2022 as low-grade products made the market more fragmented, and has now reversed due to the arrival of large-scale capacity to convert nickel pig iron into nickel matte and then nickel sulfate or metal, Macquarie said.
 
"The excess supply of nickel pig iron capacity is so large that the nickel pig iron price will now determine the level of the LME price. The bad news for LME prices is that nickel pig iron costs are still falling, "Mr Lennon said.
 
Source: PUDA
  • [Editor:邢亚敏]

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