BIR World Mirror on Non-Ferrous Metals - May/June 2012

Anxiety ahead of the slow season

Heavily influenced by European financial issues and worse-than-expected economic news from China, metals prices reflect the uncertainty that investors in other sectors are experiencing. Lackluster economies, changes in many governments around the world - some of which have already taken place, others such as China are yet to come - and an election in the USA also create anxiety among users and the speculative communities that serve to depress markets.

While demand in some countries is adequate, supply is strained, and dealers complain of a lack of business. This does not bode well for the coming months, which are typically the slowest of the year.

Our program in Rome will prove very interesting as we have the views of two consumers of scrap and an economist. On behalf of the Non-Ferrous Metals Division, I welcome you to Rome and I wish you all a successful and enjoyable meeting.

Robert Stein
Alter Trading (USA)
President of the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division
May 2012

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