What dmtu means, how to price a parcel, what CIF Tianjin includes, how the iron ore benchmark is changing, what importers paid for copper, nickel and iron ore, and how to avoid scams. Each article names its sources.
LME zinc peaked at $3,481 in 2022. What China and others declared for concentrate and refined zinc, why concentrate is not a zinc price, and the TC.
9 November 2026LME lead stayed between $1,825 and $2,315 in ten years. What the US, India and others declared for refined lead, and why concentrate prices are not comparable.
9 November 2026China's bauxite imports tripled to 201 million tonnes by 2025 and it became a metal importer. What countries declared for bauxite, alumina and metal.
8 November 2026LME copper doubled from 2016 to 2025. What China, Japan, Germany and others declared for refined copper and concentrate, and why the two are not comparable.
8 November 2026China declared $48 per tonne for Philippine nickel ore in 2025 while LME nickel averaged $15,162. Why the gap is so large and what customs data can show.
8 November 2026In 2025 Japan declared $150 per tonne for pellets and $98 for fines and lump. What customs data shows about pellet premiums, and what it cannot.
8 November 2026How treatment and refining charges work for copper concentrate, the benchmark falling from $97.35 per tonne for 2016 to $21.25 for 2025, and why it matters.
8 November 2026What an implied import price from UN Comtrade is, what HS codes group together, and five checks before you rely on one in a price discussion or a contract.
8 November 2026USGS annual average lithium carbonate prices for 2021 to 2025: the 2022 peak at $63,700 per tonne, the fall to about $9,000 and what drove the 2025 recovery.
8 November 2026Antimony averaged $25 per pound in 2025, up from $5.31 in 2021. What USGS says about China's export controls, the 2025 suspension and who supplies it.
8 November 2026Odisha mined 54% of India's iron ore and made 18% of its crude steel in 2023-24. State-by-state ore and steel output, steel by route, and the mismatch.
30 October 2026Annual manganese ore prices from 2016 to 2025 (USGS and CRU, 44% Mn, CIF China), year-on-year changes, and what sourced reports say moved them.
30 October 2026dmtu means dry metric tonne unit: 1% of a dry tonne of ore, or 10 kg of contained metal. How to convert it to a price per tonne, and common mistakes.
30 October 2026A step-by-step method to price a manganese ore parcel from the price per dmtu: grade, moisture, penalties, shipment value and a CIF to FOB conversion.
30 October 2026Where the manganese ore price comes from: the high-grade and semi-carbonate indices, USGS annual averages, why quotes differ, and how to price your own parcel.
30 October 2026CIF Tianjin means cost, insurance and freight to the Chinese port of Tianjin: what it includes, why benchmarks use it, and how to convert it to FOB.
30 October 2026What the 62% Fe iron ore price is, how silica, alumina and phosphorus adjust it, and why Platts, SGX and Argus have introduced 61% Fe benchmarks.
30 October 2026FOB vs CIF explained for ore buyers and sellers: who pays freight and insurance, what costs each price includes, and how to estimate CIF from FOB.
30 October 2026The common patterns in mineral trading fraud, from upfront fees to fake letters of credit, and the checks that protect an ore buyer or seller.