March 2025 Purchase indicators of Plastics, Crude Oil, Rubber, Cotton, Sea freight, Currencies, Inflation Year, China Export rebates and China VAT

/0 Comments/in /by

March 2025 Purchase indicators of Plastics, Crude Oil, Rubber, Cotton, Sea freight, Currencies, Inflation Year, China Export rebates and China VAT

 

The Electric bike industry March 2025 purchase indicators are like below:

 

Rubber decreased by 11.3%, crude oil decreased by 1.4% in March (and a bigger drop in April so far). The container freight rates from China to Europe decreased around 10%-15%, and China to USA rates decreased by around 15%-30% in March.

 

 

Europe Plastics prices: Plastics: prices moved within narrow changes.

Original: https://www.plasticportal.eu/  Unit: EUR/Ton

Indicator Mar-24 Apr-24 May-24 Jun-24 Ju.-24 Aug-24 Sep-24 Oct-24 Nov-24 Dec-24 Jan-25 Feb-25 Mar-25
PS (normal/clear) 2,020 2,000 1,980 1,980 1,890 1,830 1,840 1,600 1,650 1,650 1,660 1,640  1,660
HDPE (injection) 1,430 1,310 1,340 1,340 1,390 1,280 1,460 1,360 1,240 1,320 1,300 1,310  1,330
LLDPE (foil) 1,440 1,310 1,290 1,290 1,210 1,320 1,350 1,290 1,190 1,230 1,300 1,340  1,350
LDPE (foil) 1,550 1,310 1,300 1,300 1,280 1,380 1,410 1,360 1,280 1,310 1,370 1,460  1,480
PVC (foil) 1,050 1,120 1,140 1,120 1,040 1,065 1,055 1,055 975 975 965 965  985
ABS (natural) 2,265 2,300 2,330 2,330 2,380 2,340 2,330 2,230 2,250 2,210 2,230 2,250  2,250
PC (clear bright) 3,530 3,530 3,530 3,530 3,220 3,410 3,380 3,330 3,220 3,260 3,350 3,410  3,300
PP (homo) 1,540 1,350 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,460 1,510 1,410 1,380 1,400 1,420 1,460  1,470

 

 

Oil: price declined from USD 70/bbl to USD 69/bbl in March(-1.4%), as the US-China trade war is expected to shrink the demand.

  • Although Trump granted exclusions from steep tariffs on electronic products imported from China, he indicated that a new round of levies will be announced in due course, adding to continued uncertainty.
  • OPEC+ decided to faster increase output.
  • On the geopolitical front, signs of easing tensions between the U.S. and Iran may further boost global supply, particularly for key buyer China.

 

Rubber: Rubber: price increased from USD 1,930/ton to USD 2,030 in March(+5.2%).

Cotton: price drop from USD 1,500/ton to USD 1,430/ton in March(-4.7%, 1,470/ton as of today).

  • Concerns about US trade policies.
  • The USDA reported an increase in upland cotton net sales.
  • Improved demand was noted, with expectations for strong sales from March through May.
  • Overall, market sentiment showed signs of recovery after a prolonged bearish trend.

 

Packing material original: Euwid

Indicator Mar-24 Apr-24 May-24 Jun-24 Jul-24 Aug-24 Sep-24 Oct-24 Nov-24 Dec-24 Jan-25 Feb-25 Mar-25
Crude oil (USD/bbl)  81  84  77  83  74  73  70  71  68  69  76  70  69
Kraftliner packaging material                  1,000                  1,000                  1,000                  1,075                  1,075                  1,075                  1,110                  1,110                  1,110                  1,110                  1,110                  1,090  1,800
Wellenstoff packaging material                     590                     590                     590                     630                     660                     660                     670                     630                     630                     630                     630             650  1,090
Testliner II packaging material                     620                     620                     620                     660                     690                     690                     700                     660                     660                     660                     660                  680  650
Rubber RSS3 (USD/ton)  1,650  1,630  1,720  1,750  1,630  1,750  1,930  2,000  2,000  2,000  1,930  2,030  680
Cotton (input for CAB)

( USD/ton)

  2,000  1,830  1,730  1,540  1,500  1,500  1,560  1,560  1,560  1,540  1,500  1,430  1,400

 

Sea freight in March:

China – Europe: decreased from USD 1,700/20FT to USD 1,530/20FT (-10%)

Shanghai – Europe: decreased from USD 1,600/20FT to USD 1,360/20FT (-15%).

China – US Westcoast: decreased from USD 960/20FT to USD 810/20FT (-15.6%).

The USA’s  new tariffs will reduce the worldwide trade market and affect the shipping freight a lot.

 

  • USA tariffs on exports from a list of nearly 60 countries range from a level of 11% for Congo to 50% for Lesotho. These duties apply to all exports not loaded by April 9, 2025.

 

  • As the Trump administration seems to target China, many companies in China shift accelerated a China+1 strategy. This trend was apparent in the increases in US trade with Mexico and Canada, and with alternatives in Asia like Vietnam, India, Taiwan and Bangladesh – at the expense of Chinese imports to the US which declined from 20% of total US imports in 2018 to 13% in 2024. This time though, the reciprocal tariffs make these alternatives less attractive. For example, goods from the below countries will meet accelerated tariffs:

Vietnam: 46%, India: 27%, Bangladesh: 37%, Cambodia: 49%

The US tariff policies will be on hold for 90 days to countries who have no retaliatory tariffs.

  • The US tariffs on China import have increased to 145%, and 125% the other way. Both are expected to result in substantially lower ocean transport.

Currencies: Original: wwwoandacom

Currencies:

Currencies in March:

EUR/USD: increase from 1:1.04 to 1:1.08 (+3.85%).

EUR/JPY: increased from 1: 158.05 to 1:160.87 (-1.8%).

EUR/CNY: increased 1:7.56 to 1:7.82 (+3.4%).

USD/JPY: decreased from 1: 1:151.79 to 1:149.14. (-1.7%).

USD/TWD: a little moved from 1: 32.79 to 1:32.97 (+0.5%).

USD/CNY: slight decrease from 1:7.26 to 1:7.25 (-0.14%).

 

Indicator Mar-24 Apr-24 May-24 Jun-24 Jul-24 Aug-24 Sepr-24 Oct-24 Novr-24 Dec-24 Jan-25 Feb-25 Mar-25
EUR/USD  109  107  108  108  108  110  111  109  106  105  103  104  1.08
EUR/JPY  16271  16504  16836  17005  17112  16146  15887  16322  16310  16122  16202  15805  160.87
EUR/CNY  782  776  781  780  787  787  786  773  765  763  756  756  7.82
EUR/TWD  3441  3467  3490  3484  3540  3550  3547  3498  3436  3411  3400  3414  35.56
USD/JPY  14977  15394  15576  15804  15771  14624  14284  14977  15348  15391  15657  15179  149.14
USD/NT$  3168  3234  3230  3239  3263  3223  3194  3210  3234  3257  3286  3279  32.97
USD/CNY  720  724  723  725  726  715  707  709  720  728  730  726  7.25
EUR/VND  26,850  26,990  27,500  27,370  27,500  27,600  27,350  27,280  26,930  26,620  26,150  26,400  27,540
USD/THB  3594  3675  3660  3671  3623  3471  3326  3335  3439  3413  3425  3375  33.80

 

Inflation Year on Year %, China Export rebates and China VAT

Indicator Mar-24 Apr-24 May-24 Jun-24 Jul-24 Aug-24 Sep-24 Oct-24 Nov-24 Dec-24 Jan-25 Feb-25 Mar-25
Japan Inflation (CPI) YOY % 2.70% 2.50% 2.80% 2.80% 2.80% 3.00% 2.50% 2.30% 2.90% 3.60% 4.00% 3.70%
Taiwan Inflation (CPI) YOY % 2.14% 1.95% 2.24% 2.42% 2.52% 2.36% 1.82% 1.69% 2.08% 2.10% 2.66% 1.58% 2.29%
China Inflation (CPI) YOY % 0.10% 0.30% 0.30% 0.20% 0.50% 0.60% 0.40% 0.30% 0.20% 0.10% 0.50% -0.70% -0.10%
Vietnam Inflation (CPI) YOY % 3.97% 4.40% 4.44% 4.34% 4.36% 3.45% 2.63% 2.89% 2.77% 2.94% 3.63% 2.91% 3.31%
China Export rebates 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13%
China VAT 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13%

 

LME Metal March 2025 Purchase indicators –Steel, Aluminum, Nickel, Cobalt, Lithium Hydroxide price and market overview

/0 Comments/in /by

The Electric bike materials March 2025 purchase indicators are like below:

Moving commodities in March: Cobalt showed a major price increase of 56%, while nickel and copper rose by 4.5% and 4.8% respectively (in USD prices).

 

LME Metal Purchase indicators –Steel, Aluminum, Nickel, Cobalt, Lithium Hydroxide price and market overview

Original: www.lme.com

 

LME metals in 12 months: ( Lithium USD/kg, others USD/ton)

 

LME Metal March 2025 Purchase indicators –Steel, Aluminum, Nickel, Cobalt, Lithium Hydroxide price and market overview

 

The Electric bike materials March 2025 purchase indicators are like below:

Moving commodities in March: Cobalt showed a major price increase of 56%, while nickel and copper rose by 4.5% and 4.8% respectively (in USD prices).

 

LME Metal Purchase indicators –Steel, Aluminum, Nickel, Cobalt, Lithium Hydroxide price and market overview

Original: www.lme.com

 

LME metals in 12 months: ( Lithium USD/kg, others USD/ton)

 

Metal Materials Apr-24 May-24 Jun-24 Jul-24 Aug-24 Sep-24 Oct-24 Nov-24 Dec-24 Jan-25 Feb-25 Mar-25
Steel LME Far East 3 months              385              385              385              390              365              375              385              360              350              350              365                     375
Aluminium LME 3 months         2,500         2,600         2,480         2,350         2,360         2,500         2,600         2,600         2,550         2,580         2,660                  2,680
Aluminium China local         20,000         21,000         21,000         20,000         19,600         20,400         20,900         20,600         20,600         20,200         20,550                20,700
Nickel         18,600         19,800         17,500         16,400         16,300         16,300         17,000         15,700         15,500         15,400         15,400                16,100
Copper           9,400         10,100           9,600           9,400           9,000           9,300           9,500           9,000           8,950           8,950           9,300                  9,750
Cobalt (3 months buyer)         27,600         26,900         26,300         25,900         24,500         23,600       23,800       23,800       23,800       23,800       21,000                32,800
Lithium Hydroxide         13.70         14.30         13.60         12.00         11.10         10.00           9.60           8.90           9.45           9.47           9.30                    9.20

 

Steel: prices rose from USD 365/ton to USD 375/ton in March (+2.7%).

  • The US raised its tariffs on China to 145% in the latest round of escalation in response to China’s 125% tariffs on US goods.
  • Even though a portion of the US tariffs exclude steel, and steel trade between the two countries is a small fraction of global flows, the escalating trade war between China and the US pressured the outlook on construction and manufacturing for the world’s top ferrous metal consumer.
  • The impact of tariffs on Chinese steel was lower than those in base metals, as economic aid from Beijing is set to support household consumption and property developers’ financial health.
  • Beijing signaled it will cut capacity for steel mills as a reaction to protectionist trade from Vietnam, South Korea, and Brazil.

 

Aluminium: prices moved a little from USD 2,660/ton to USD 2,680/ton in March (+0.8%).

  • The US has reinstated 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium from key trading partners, including Canada, Mexico, and the EU, while also imposing a 200% tariff on Russian aluminium.
  • Major alumina producers in Guinea and Australia added new capacity to recover from disruptions last year.
  • China produced 44 million tons of aluminium in 2024, a new record. However, supply growth in China is expected to slow as the current output level close to the output cap of 45 million tons.

 

Local aluminium prices in China rose from CNY 20,550/ton to CNY 20,700/ton in March(+0.8%).

Nickel: prices increased from USD 15.4K/ton to USD 16.1k/ton in March (+4.5%).

  • China announced a 125% tariff on all US exported products, in response to recent US tariffs.
  • Nickel stockpiles on LME have increased, with Chinese-processed Indonesian nickel now accounting for over 50% of LME inventories (11% at the start of 2024).
  • Indonesia’s surging refined metal output is further saturating the market.

 

Cobalt: prices burst from USD 21K/ton to USD 32.8K/ton in March (+56.2%).

  • Cobalt prices in China jumped on China’s strategic buying of cobalt and talks of extension of export ban from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the top supplier of the battery material.

 

Lithium Hydroxide: price decreased from USD 9.3/kg to USD 9.2/kg in March (-1%).

  • Sales in China rose by 38%, to 991,000 tons in March, but missed a forecast 1 million tons despite ongoing government subsidies that promote vehicle exchanges and energy transition technologies. Battery inventories remain elevated.
  • Supply is not expected to slow as lithium miners are not willing to close operations in order to retain market share and business relationships with governments and battery producers.

Li Battery Raw Materials PriceTrends

/0 Comments/in /by

Li Battery Raw Materials PriceTrends

 

The present of batter construction

Li battery raw materials price trentds within

Li Battery raw materials price data

Unite: USD/kg

Source:   www.lme.com      https://businessanalytiq.com/

Material Aluminium Nickel Copper Cobalt Lithium Hydroxide Graphite (China) Manganese Others
% of construction 15% 4% 10% 7% 7% 16% 5% 36%
March-21                   2.20      16.20          8.90       51.80        11.75           1.95      2.80
April-21                   2.40      16.50       10.00       49.80        13.00           1.96      2.85
May-21                   2.45      17.50       10.20       43.60        13.25           1.91      2.97
June-21                   2.50      18.00          9.35       50.00        15.25           1.92      3.32
July-21                   2.50      19.20          9.50       52.50        15.75           1.94      3.52
August-21                   2.65      19.40          9.30       52.00        16.50           2.09      3.86
September-21                   2.90      18.50          9.20       52.50        19.70           2.19      4.95
October-21                   2.70      20.00          9.90       55.70        24.20           2.22      5.80
November-21                   2.60      20.50          9.60       62.30        29.00           2.37      6.18
December-21                   2.80      20.00          9.65       69.00        30.00           2.44      7.41
January-22                   3.10      23.00          9.80       69.75        38.00           2.58      7.47
February-22                   3.30      24.00       10.00       73.00        50.00           2.68      7.36
March-22                   3.50      32.00       10.30       81.36        69.00           2.94      6.54
April-22                   3.10      33.00       10.10       81.36        81.00           2.90      6.27
May-22                   2.80      28.00          9.30       77.60        80.00           2.89      6.27
June-22                   2.50      25.50          9.00       71.50        75.00           2.92      5.04
July-22                   2.40      21.50          7.40       50.00        75.00           2.94      2.88
August-22                   2.43      21.50          8.00       48.00        75.50           3.02      2.45
September-22                   2.23      23.00          7.80       51.50        76.80           2.92      2.40
October-22                   2.22      22.00          7.60       51.50        80.20           2.85      2.42
November-22                   2.35      25.50          8.00       51.50        84.00           2.84      2.39
December-22                   2.40      29.00          8.40       51.50        85.00           2.93      2.32
January-23                   2.55      28.00          9.10       48.50        81.00           2.95      2.38
February-23                   2.40      26.00          8.90       36.00        76.00           2.80      2.43
March-23                   2.28      23.00          8.80       33.30        70.00           2.76      2.51
April-23                   2.30      23.50          8.80       34.00        47.00           2.67      2.37
May-23                   2.27      22.00          8.00       33.00        44.00           2.63      2.35
June-23                   2.18      21.25          8.40       29.00        47.00           2.59      2.35
July-23                   2.15      20.80          8.40       32.50        44.00           2.52      2.10
August-23                   2.15      20.50          8.38       32.50        35.50           2.46      2.04
September-23                   2.20      19.50          8.30       32.50        28.50           2.36      2.04
October-23                   2.18      18.29          7.95       32.50        24.00           2.32      2.04
November-23                   2.18      16.50          8.25       32.50        21.00           2.26      2.07
December-23                   2.23      16.40          8.45       30.00        17.00           2.30      2.03
January-24                   2.20      16.10          8.35       28.20        15.00           2.32      2.02
February-24                   2.18      16.20          8.35       27.90        13.25           2.27      2.01
March-24                   2.20      17.50          8.73       27.78        13.27           2.24      1.97
April-24                   2.50      18.60          9.40       27.60        13.70           2.15      1.98
May-24                   2.60      19.80       10.10       26.90        14.30           2.19      1.91
June-24                   2.48      17.50          9.60       26.30        13.60           2.21      2.12
July-24                   2.35      16.40          9.40       25.90        12.00           2.25      2.21
August-24                   2.36      16.30          9.00       24.50        11.10           2.29      2.18
September-24                   2.50      16.30          9.30       23.60        10.00           2.34      2.13
October-24                   2.60      17.00          9.50       23.80          9.60           2.35      2.11
November-24 2.6      15.70          9.00 23.8 8.9 2.10 2.08
December-24 2.55      15.50          8.95 23.8 9.45 2.11 2.46
January-25 2.58      15.40          8.95 23.8 9.47 2.05 2.45
February-25 2.66      15.40          9.30 21 9.3 2.14 1.98

 

February 2025 Purchase indicators of Plastics, Crude Oil, Rubber, Cotton, Sea freight, Currencies, Inflation Year, China Export rebates and China VAT

/0 Comments/in /by

February 2025 Purchase indicators of Plastics, Crude Oil, Rubber, Cotton, Sea freight, Currencies, Inflation Year, China Export rebates and China VAT

 

The Electric bike industry February 2025 purchase indicators are like below:

 

Plastics LDPE (foil) increased by 6.6%, crude oil decreased by 7.9%, cotton decreased by 4.7%.

The container freight rates from China to Europe decreased around 19%~28%, and China to USA rates decreased by around 13%~18% in February.

 

 

Europe Plastics prices: LDPE (foil) increased 6.6% in February, other plastics prices remained stable.

Original: https://www.plasticportal.eu/  Unit: EUR/Ton

Indicator Mar.-24 Apr.-24 May-24 Jun.-24 Jul.-24 Aug.-24 Sep.-24 Oct.-24 Nov.-24 Dec.-24 Jan.-25 Feb.-25
PS (normal/clear) 2,020 2,000 1,980 1,980 1,890 1,830 1,840 1,600 1,650 1,650 1,660 1,640
HDPE (injection) 1,430 1,310 1,340 1,340 1,390 1,280 1,460 1,360 1,240 1,320 1,300 1,310
LLDPE (foil) 1,440 1,310 1,290 1,290 1,210 1,320 1,350 1,290 1,190 1,230 1,300 1,340
LDPE (foil) 1,550 1,310 1,300 1,300 1,280 1,380 1,410 1,360 1,280 1,310 1,370 1,460
PVC (foil) 1,050 1,120 1,140 1,120 1,040 1,065 1,055 1,055 975 975 965 965
ABS (natural) 2,265 2,300 2,330 2,330 2,380 2,340 2,330 2,230 2,250 2,210 2,230 2,250
PC (clear bright) 3,530 3,530 3,530 3,530 3,220 3,410 3,380 3,330 3,220 3,260 3,350 3,410
PP (homo) 1,540 1,350 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,460 1,510 1,410 1,380 1,400 1,420 1,460

Oil: price declined from USD 76/bbl to USD 70/bbl in February (-7.9%,  ~USD 67/bbl today).

  • Prices came under pressure from the potential fallout of global trade shifts.
  • While President Donald Trump eased some tariffs on Mexico and Canada until April 2, Canada’s retaliatory tariffs remain, and China’s also take countermeasures.
  • OPEC+ plans to revive output in April, coinciding with prospects of a restart of the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline and increased production at Kazakhstan’s Tengiz field.
  • Russian President signaled interest in a Ukraine peace deal, raising the prospect of sanctions relief and higher Russian oil exports.

Rubber: Rubber: price increased from USD 1,930/ton to USD 2,030 in February (+5.2%, USD 2,030/ton today).

Cotton: price drop from USD 1,500/ton to USD 1,430/ton in February (-4.7%, 1,470/ton as of today).

  • Concerns about US trade policies.
  • The USDA reported an increase in upland cotton net sales.
  • Improved demand was noted, with expectations for strong sales from March through May.
  • Overall, market sentiment showed signs of recovery after a prolonged bearish trend.
Indicator Mar.-24 Apr.-24 May-24 Jun.-24 Jul.-24 Aug.-24 Sep.-24 Oct.-24 Nov.-24 Dec.-24 Jan.-25 Feb.-25
Crude oil (USD/bbl)  81  84  77  83  74  73  70  71  68  69  76  70
Rubber RSS3 (USD/ton)  1,650  1,630  1,720  1,750  1,630  1,750  1,930  2,000  2,000  2,000  1,930  2,030
Cotton (input for CAB)

( USD/ton)

  2,000  1,830  1,730  1,540  1,500  1,500  1,560  1,560  1,560  1,540  1,500  1,430

Sea freight in February:

China – Europe: decreased from USD 2,100/20FT to USD 1,700/20FT (-19%)

Shanghai – Europe: decreased from USD 2,230/20FT to USD 1,600/20FT (-28.3%).

China – US Westcoast: increased from USD 1,100/20FT to USD 960/20FT (-12.7%).

Intra-Asia: decreased from USD800/40FT to USD 670/40FT

  • The combination of a seasonal slump in demand and the possible end of frontloading likely drove the sharp fall in transpacific ocean rates.

•       Tariffs driving up inflation and negatively impacting consumer spending could also push down demand for ocean freight in H2.

 

 

Currencies: Original: www.oanda.com

Currencies:

EUR/USD: increase from 1:1.03 to 1:1.04(+0.97%).

EUR/JPY:decreased from 1: 162.02 to 1:158.05 (-2.5%).

EUR/CNY: stay at 1:7.56. (0%), increased to 1:7.84 today

USD/JPY: decreased from 1:156.57 to 1:151.79. (-3%).

USD/TWD: decreased from 1:32.86 to 1:32.79 (-0.2%).

USD/CNY: decrease from 1:7.3 to 1:7.26 (-0.55%).

 

Indicator Mar.-24 Apr.-24 May-24 Jun.-24 Jul.-24 Aug.-24 Sep.r-24 Oct.-24 Nov.r-24 Dec.-24 Jan.-25 Feb.-25
EUR/USD  1.09  1.07  1.08  1.08  1.08  1.10  1.11  1.09  1.06  1.05  1.03  1.04
EUR/JPY  162.71  165.04  168.36  170.05  171.12  161.46  158.87  163.22  163.10  161.22  162.02  158.05
EUR/CNY  7.82  7.76  7.81  7.80  7.87  7.87  7.86  7.73  7.65  7.63  7.56  7.56
EUR/TWD  34.41  34.67  34.90  34.84  35.40  35.50  35.47  34.98  34.36  34.11  34.00  34.14
USD/JPY  149.77  153.94  155.76  158.04  157.71  146.24  142.84  149.77  153.48  153.91  156.57  151.79
USD/NT$  31.68  32.34  32.30  32.39  32.63  32.23  31.94  32.10  32.34  32.57  32.86  32.79
USD/CNY  7.20  7.24  7.23  7.25  7.26  7.15  7.07  7.09  7.20  7.28  7.30  7.26
EUR/VND  26,850  26,990  27,500  27,370  27,500  27,600  27,350  27,280  26,930  26,620  26,150  26,400
USD/THB  35.94  36.75  36.60  36.71  36.23  34.71  33.26  33.35  34.39  34.13  34.25  33.75

 

Inflation Year on Year %, China Export rebates and China VAT

Indicator Mar.-24 Apr.-24 May-24 Jun.-24 Jul.-24 Aug.-24 Sep.-24 Oct.-24 Nov.-24 Dec.-24 Jan.-25 Feb.-25
Japan Inflation (CPI) YOY % 2.70% 2.50% 2.80% 2.80% 2.80% 3.00% 2.50% 2.30% 2.90% 3.60% 4.00% 3.70%
Taiwan Inflation (CPI) YOY % 2.14% 1.95% 2.24% 2.42% 2.52% 2.36% 1.82% 1.69% 2.08% 2.10% 2.66% 1.58%
China Inflation (CPI) YOY % 0.10% 0.30% 0.30% 0.20% 0.50% 0.60% 0.40% 0.30% 0.20% 0.10% 0.50% -0.70%
Vietnam Inflation (CPI) YOY % 3.97% 4.40% 4.44% 4.34% 4.36% 3.45% 2.63% 2.89% 2.77% 2.94% 3.63% 2.91%
China Export rebates 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13%
China VAT 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13%

LME Metal February 2025 Purchase indicators –Steel, Aluminum, Nickel, Cobalt, Lithium Hydroxide price and market overview

/0 Comments/in /by

LME Metal February 2025 Purchase indicators –Steel, Aluminum, Nickel, Cobalt, Lithium Hydroxide price and market overview

 

The Electric bike materials February 2025 purchase indicators are like below:

Big Moving commodities in February: steel and Copper rose by 4.3% and 3.1% respectively, cobalt deceased by 11.8%

 

LME Metal Purchase indicators –Steel, Aluminum, Nickel, Cobalt, Lithium Hydroxide price and market overview

Original: www.lme.com

 

LME metals in 12 months: ( Li USD/kg, others USD/ton)

 

Metal Materials Mar-24 Apr-24 May-24 Jun-24 Jul-24 Aug-24 Sep-24 Oct-24 Nov-24 Dec-24 Jan-25 Feb-25
Steel LME Far East 3 months              385              385              385              385              390              365              375              385              360              350              350              365
Aluminium LME 3 months         2,200         2,500         2,600         2,480         2,350         2,360         2,500         2,600         2,600         2,550         2,580         2,660
Aluminium China local         19,160         20,000         21,000         21,000         20,000         19,600         20,400         20,900         20,600         20,600         20,200         20,550
Nickel         17,500         18,600         19,800         17,500         16,400         16,300         16,300         17,000         15,700         15,500         15,400         15,400
Copper           8,730           9,400         10,100           9,600           9,400           9,000           9,300           9,500           9,000           8,950           8,950           9,300
Cobalt (3 months buyer)         27,780         27,600         26,900         26,300         25,900         24,500         23,600       23,800       23,800       23,800       23,800       21,000
Lithium Hydroxide         13.27         13.70         14.30         13.60         12.00         11.10         10.00           9.60           8.90           9.45           9.47           9.30

 

Steel: prices rose from USD 350/ton to USD 365/ton in February (4.3%, ~USD 376/ton as of today).

  • Beijing is expected to shrink capacity by 50 million tons this year to counter overcapacity, caused by lower construction demand from China’s property crisis and lower export ability.
  • Vietnam put anti-dumping tariffs Chinese steel and South Korea, Brazil and Chile have pledged comparable measures (China exported a record-high 117 million tons in 2024, a 25% increase).
  • In the meantime, the China domestic PMI is showing recovery (52.7 in February), contributing to cautious optimism.

 

Aluminium: price increased from USD 2,580/ton to USD 2,660/ton in February (+3.1%, ~USD 2,690/ton as of today).

  • Renewed threats from the European Commission to put additional sanctions on Russian aluminium.
  • Signals from the US to relax sanctions on Russia, easing growing concerns of low supply and lifting Rusal’s export outlook.
  • Reduced Chinese aluminium exports after ending export stimulus measures, taking away a substantial price pressuring factor.
  • On the demand side, a series of economic stimulus in China raises expectation of higher demand.

 

Local aluminium prices in China rose from CNY 20,200/ton to CNY 20,550/ton in February (+1.7%, ~CNY 20,770/ton as of today).

 

Aluminium: price increased from USD 2,580/ton to USD 2,660/ton in February (+3.1%, ~USD 2,690/ton as of today).

  • Renewed threats from the European Commission to put additional sanctions on Russian aluminium.
  • Signals from the US to relax sanctions on Russia, easing growing concerns of low supply and lifting Rusal’s export outlook.
  • Reduced Chinese aluminium exports after ending export stimulus measures, taking away a substantial price pressuring factor.
  • On the demand side, a series of economic stimulus in China raises expectation of higher demand.

 

Local aluminium prices in China rose from CNY 20,200/ton to CNY 20,550/ton in February (+1.7%, ~CNY 20,770/ton as of today).

Nickel: prices remained stable at USD 15.4K/ton in February (0%, ~today USD 16.1K/ton).

  • Indonesia considers reducing nickel mining quotas by 120 million tons in 2025, enough to reduce global supply by 35%. As this reduction hardly sparked a price reaction, it indicates that the market is still oversupplied and inventory at LME warehouses still remain 100% higher than one year ago (nearly 200 thousand tons finished product).
  • Rising Chinese PMIs in China in February moved market from a bearish to a slightly positive sentiment.

 

Cobalt: prices declined from USD 23.8K/ton to USD 21K/ton in February, but reversed to USD 25.5k/ton in March (-11.8%, ~USD 25.5K/ton today).

 

Lithium Hydroxide: price decreased from USD 9.47/kg to USD 9.3/kg in February (-1.8%. today’s price is ~USD 9.09/kg), amid persistent pressure from an oversupplied market.

  • EV sales in China rose by 17% annually in January and accounted for over 42% of total sales as Beijing rolled new fiscal benefits for NEV purchases (but battery inventories still remain high).
  • Lithium miners don’t want to close operations to retain market share and business relationships with governments and battery producers.
  • • Rio Tinto aims to enter the lithium market after buying US-based Arcadium Lithium for $6.7 billion.

 

The China Export Data of E-bike to worldwide

/0 Comments/in /by
No. Period PartnerCode PartnerISO CmdCode AltQty NetWgt Fobvalue PrimaryValue
1 2023 840 United States of America 87116000 4564241 80922640 1288784794 1288784794
2 2023 528 Netherlands 87116000 827930 18413706 264415347 264415347
3 2023 616 Poland 87116000 525644 12542092 168786320 168786320
4 2023 392 Japan 87116000 333263 9604344 159955725 159955725
5 2023 276 Germany 87116000 565114 12026113 156907756 156907756
6 2023 124 Canada 87116000 321295 7829208 145769316 145769316
7 2023 410 Rep. of Korea 87116000 288139 8852440 134983519 134983519
8 2023 643 Russian Federation 87116000 375883 9750864 132362243 132362243
9 2023 360 Indonesia 87116000 715453 38350790 121881720 121881720
10 2023 699 India 87116000 440978 34010820 117009759 117009759
11 2023 36 Australia 87116000 264009 5540744 110159908 110159908
12 2023 250 Metropolitan France 87116000 349483 7303770 108493450 108493450
13 2023 792 Turkey 87116000 359089 24222117 107969129 107969129
14 2023 826 United Kingdom 87116000 463432 6863349 102971342 102971342
15 2023 704 Viet Nam 87116000 317246 13616793 92492449 92492449
16 2023 724 Spain 87116000 272647 5840133 84895738 84895738
17 2023 608 Philippines 87116000 195457 22311650 79378155 79378155
18 2023 764 Thailand 87116000 242619 12328398 75470227 75470227
19 2023 860 Uzbekistan 87116000 153336 20499683 64485473 64485473
20 2023 380 Italy 87116000 214980 4607178 61172695 61172695
21 2023 56 Belgium 87116000 245554 4423358 60328208 60328208
22 2023 484 Mexico 87116000 317725 9284274 60076475 60076475
23 2023 300 Greece 87116000 130941 3752360 57113792 57113792
24 2023 757 Switzerland 87116000 106126 2474346 50789865 50789865
25 2023 398 Kazakhstan 87116000 191255 8399856 42712878 42712878
26 2023 376 Israel 87116000 86765 2478801 42532155 42532155
27 2023 76 Brazil 87116000 174861 5605123 42434270 42434270
28 2023 784 United Arab Emirates 87116000 215300 4753418 41919954 41919954
29 2023 578 Norway, excluding Svalbard and Jan Mayen 87116000 59581 1442368 38793096 38793096
30 2023 554 New Zealand 87116000 40120 942245 30500397 30500397
31 2023 642 Romania 87116000 71423 3265118 22199074 22199074
32 2023 752 Sweden 87116000 77773 1646089 21635296 21635296
33 2023 682 Saudi Arabia 87116000 135510 2416373 21303621 21303621
34 2023 417 Kyrgyzstan 87116000 65316 4733406 20030393 20030393
35 2023 218 Ecuador 87116000 59582 4320129 19400547 19400547
36 2023 203 Czechia 87116000 55806 1679444 17686950 17686950
37 2023 591 Panama 87116000 59199 1843375 16809481 16809481
38 2023 705 Slovenia 87116000 46546 1248363 15448570 15448570
39 2023 170 Colombia 87116000 55956 1749157 15014941 15014941
40 2023 344 China, Hong Kong SAR 87116000 44780 827084 13600685 13600685
41 2023 40 Austria 87116000 29833 1261124 13326257 13326257
42 2023 368 Iraq 87116000 67795 2853529 13106032 13106032
43 2023 604 Peru 87116000 38711 2551321 12771949 12771949
44 2023 458 Malaysia 87116000 47485 1481644 12461802 12461802
45 2023 418 Lao People’s Dem. Rep. 87116000 46351 2939042 12086264 12086264
46 2023 152 Chile 87116000 44050 1494890 11251957 11251957
47 2023 191 Croatia 87116000 31580 1082607 10345855 10345855
48 2023 116 Cambodia 87116000 49566 2526866 10092841 10092841
49 2023 32 Argentina 87116000 26504 836479 9562708 9562708
50 2023 246 Finland 87116000 19576 714628 9497348 9497348
51 2023 192 Cuba 87116000 12011 2088468 9215328 9215328
52 2023 702 Singapore 87116000 13289 524772 9171630 9171630
53 2023 804 Ukraine 87116000 23156 1379451 8370997 8370997
54 2023 858 Uruguay 87116000 51366 763516 8016498 8016498
55 2023 348 Hungary 87116000 25145 1500906 7721119 7721119
56 2023 620 Portugal 87116000 27399 1123193 7526902 7526902
57 2023 440 Lithuania 87116000 17064 596573 6955781 6955781
58 2023 100 Bulgaria 87116000 16771 953653 6442203 6442203
59 2023 104 Myanmar 87116000 19138 1583381 6306592 6306592
60 2023 586 Pakistan 87116000 23509 1436610 5772783 5772783
61 2023 208 Denmark 87116000 21095 536947 5726241 5726241
62 2023 204 Benin 87116000 5377 671269 5650279 5650279
63 2023 818 Egypt 87116000 20759 649694 5302425 5302425
64 2023 524 Nepal 87116000 6795 994332 5028101 5028101
65 2023 158 Taiwan, Province of China 87116000 14591 604755 4864573 4864573
66 2023 768 Togo 87116000 4547 547709 4822406 4822406
67 2023 710 South Africa 87116000 17007 536029 4805861 4805861
68 2023 703 Slovakia 87116000 8713 322687 4784116 4784116
69 2023 144 Sri Lanka 87116000 8654 482679 4425084 4425084
70 2023 504 Morocco 87116000 9727 527037 4322155 4322155
71 2023 762 Tajikistan 87116000 10798 840672 4252949 4252949
72 2023 328 Guyana 87116000 13956 678987 3985433 3985433
73 2023 446 China, Macao SAR 87116000 1850 195727 3265702 3265702
74 2023 112 Belarus 87116000 9041 504148 2839324 2839324
75 2023 372 Ireland 87116000 16162 212966 2654522 2654522
76 2023 50 Bangladesh 87116000 6370 603962 2565554 2565554
77 2023 352 Iceland 87116000 3503 119185 2563887 2563887
78 2023 512 Oman 87116000 9028 275287 2523205 2523205
79 2023 388 Jamaica 87116000 4067 255571 2324294 2324294
80 2023 566 Nigeria 87116000 9944 698629 2263139 2263139
81 2023 404 Kenya 87116000 2628 298839 2116598 2116598
82 2023 862 Venezuela 87116000 10524 274933 2079439 2079439
83 2023 422 Lebanon 87116000 5284 419561 1946030 1946030
84 2023 638 Reunion (Overseas France) 87116000 4449 140409 1914826 1914826
85 2023 48 Bahrain 87116000 10989 282514 1863258 1863258
86 2023 634 Qatar 87116000 5761 131218 1822650 1822650
87 2023 688 Serbia 87116000 5271 263378 1812948 1812948
88 2023 834 United Rep. of Tanzania 87116000 3785 499875 1752840 1752840
89 2023 600 Paraguay 87116000 14654 195609 1670820 1670820
90 2023 320 Guatemala 87116000 3897 144218 1598153 1598153
91 2023 188 Costa Rica 87116000 3293 161465 1577980 1577980
92 2023 414 Kuwait 87116000 8698 210435 1502620 1502620
93 2023 214 Dominican Rep. 87116000 3306 188872 1494769 1494769
94 2023 258 French Polynesia 87116000 2552 108475 1355112 1355112
95 2023 288 Ghana 87116000 3554 252143 1343432 1343432
96 2023 462 Maldives 87116000 1854 284912 1297677 1297677
97 2023 8 Albania 87116000 6828 144486 1263269 1263269
98 2023 740 Suriname 87116000 5708 323197 1183850 1183850
99 2023 196 Cyprus 87116000 2035 99785 1171670 1171670
100 2023 233 Estonia 87116000 1606 58063 1126793 1126793

Purchase indicators of Plastics, Crude Oil, Rubber, Cotton, Sea freight, Currencies, Inflation Year, China Export rebates and China VAT

/0 Comments/in /by

Europe Plastics prices: In July, PS (normal/clear) -4.5%, LLDPE (foil) -6.2%, PVC (foil) -7.1%, PC (clear bright) -8.8%. Original: https://www.plasticportal.eu/  Unit: EUR/Ton

Indicator Aug-23 Sep-23 Oct-23 Nov-23 Dec-23 Jan-24 Feb-24 Mar-24 Apr-24 May-24 Jun-24 Jul-24
PS (normal/clear)      1,630      1,770      1,850      1,700      1,610      1,600      1,800      2,020      2,000      1,980      1,980      1,890
HDPE (injection)       1,260       1,350       1,430       1,340       1,310       1,250       1,310       1,430       1,310       1,340       1,340       1,390
LLDPE (foil)       1,270       1,380       1,470       1,390       1,370       1,290       1,370       1,440       1,310       1,290       1,290       1,210
LDPE (foil)       1,490       1,560       1,670       1,560       1,520       1,280       1,470       1,550       1,310       1,300       1,300       1,280
PVC (foil)       1,280       1,300       1,340       1,240       1,220       1,240       1,040       1,050       1,120       1,140       1,120      1,040
ABS (natural)       1,870       1,970       2,000       1,860       1,820       2,200       2,130       2,265      2,300      2,330      2,330      2,380
PC (clear bright)       4,050       4,050       4,150       4,030       3,980       3,600       3,530       3,530       3,530       3,530       3,530       3,220
PP (homo)       1,230       1,320       1,410       1,300       1,290       1,350       1,450       1,540       1,350       1,400       1,400       1,400

Crude Oil: price dropped from USD 83/bbl to USD 74/bbl in July (-10.8%).

  • Increase in oil production from U.S. and some OPEC+ members which boost supply.
  • Slower economic growth (China, Europe), leading to weaker oil demand concerns.
  • The USA released additional crude oil from their strategic reserves to stabilize or reduce prices.
  • Fears of a potential regional war (Israel, Lebanon, Iran) and stopped production due to political instability (e.g. Lybia’s largest oil field, Sharara, due to anti-government protests and security issues) give some counterweight the price decline.

Rubber: declined from USD 1,750/ton to USD 1,630/ton in July (-6.9%, USD 1,690/ton today), as concerns over global tight supplies.

  • China’s manufacturing activity fell for a third consecutive month in July, depressing demand outlooks.

Cotton: Declined from USD 1,540/ton to USD 1,500/ton in July (-2.6%, 1,450/ton as of today) due to falling oil prices and heavy selling pressure in agricultural commodities.

  • Global cotton production is projected to grow steadily, reaching 29 million tons by 2033, a 17% increase from the 2021-23 base period, with India accounting for 38%, United States at 27% and Brazil at 21% (OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2024-2033′ report).
Indicator Aug-23 Sep-23 Oct-23 Nov-23 Dec-23 Jan-24 Feb-24 Mar-24 Apr-24 May-24 Jun-24 Jul-24
Crude oil (USD/bbl) 81    89 81     77        72          75         76          81          84          77          83          74
Rubber RSS3 (USD/ton)  1,330 1,420 1,450  1,470  1,550 1,500  1,550  1,650   1,630   1,720 1,750 1,630
Cotton (input for CAB)

( USD/ton)

  1,880  1,880  1,850  1,750 1,760  1,830 2,000 2,000  1,830 1,730  1,540 1,500

 

Sea freight indicators: Original: Original: https://www.drewry.co.uk/

Shanghai – Rotterdam: increased from USD 6,500/40FT to USD 8,000/40FT (+23%)

Shanghai – Los Angeles(A/C): increased from USD 6,200/40FT to USD 7,300/40FT (+17.7%).

  • The US National Retail Federation point out that the consumer goods shipments will peak in August and the peak season to Europe might be earlier. Asia-Europe utilization levels have slipped recently. Besides the continued Red Sea diversions mean longer transit times and a need for earlier departures (end September instead of 2nd half of October).
  • Despite volumes likely reaching their peak, there is still no significant congestion at destination hubs from increased import traffic.
  • Congestion is still a factor in Singapore and has led to some spillover to Malaysia. But overall delays have decreased, with vessel wait times under two days in Singapore.

Currencies: Original: www.oanda.com

EUR/USD: remained at 1:1.08 (0%) in July.
EUR/JPY: increased a bit from 1:170.05 to 1:171.12 (+0.6%).
EUR/CNY: increased from 1:7.80 to 1:7.87. (+0.9%).
USD/JPY: decreased from 1: 158.04 to 1:157.71. (-0.2%).
USD/TWD: increased from 1: 32.39 to 1:32.63 (+0.7%).
USD/CNY: increase from 1:7.25 to 1:7.26. (+0.1%).

Indicator Aug-23 Sep-23 Oct-23 Nov-23 Dec-23 Jan-24 Feb-24 Mar-24 Apr-24 May-24 Jun-24 Jul-24
EUR/USD 1.09 1.07 1.06 1.08 1.09 1.09 1.08 1.09 1.07 1.08 1.08 1.08
EUR/JPY 157.89 157.77 157.95 161.99 157.03 159.35 161.20 162.71 165.04 168.36 170.05 171.12
EUR/CNY  7.89 7.78 7.69 7.79 7.76 7.75 7.72 7.82 7.76 7.81 7.80 7.87
EUR/TWD 34.70 34.20 34.10 34.48 34.08 34.01 33.88 34.41 34.67 34.90 34.84 35.40
USD/JPY 144.74 147.72 149.54 149.84 144.08 146.06 149.44 149.77 153.94 155.76 158.04 157.71
USD/NT$ 31.81 32.02 32.28 31.90 31.27 31.18 31.42 31.68 32.34 32.30 32.39 32.63
USD/CNY 7.23 7.29 7.28 7.21 7.12 7.10 7.16 7.20 7.24 7.23 7.25 7.26
EUR/VND 26,000 25,850 25,850 26,300 26,460 26,700 26,390 26,850 26,990 27,500 27,370 27,500
USD/THB 35.00 35.79 36.47 35.44 34.97 35.15 35.84 35.94 36.75 36.60 36.71 36.23

 

Inflation Year on Year %, China Export rebates and China VAT

Indicator Aug-23 Sep-23 Oct-23 Nov-23 Dec-23 Jan-24 Feb-24 Mar-24 Apr-24 May-24 Jun-24 Jul-24
Japan Inflation (CPI) YOY % 3.20% 3.00% 3.30% 2.80% 2.60% 2.20% 2.80% 2.70% 2.50% 2.80% 2.80%
Taiwan Inflation (CPI) YOY % 2.52% 2.93% 3.05% 2.90% 2.71% 1.79% 3.08% 2.14% 1.95% 2.24% 2.42%
China Inflation (CPI) YOY % 0.10% 0.00% -0.20% -0.50% -0.30% -0.80% 0.70% 0.10% 0.30% 0.30% 0.20%
Vietnam Inflation (CPI) YOY % 2.96% 3.66% 3.59% 3.45% 3.58% 3.37% 3.98% 3.97% 4.40% 4.44% 4.34% 4.36%
China Export rebates 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13%
China VAT 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13%

 

LME Metal Purchase indicators –Steel, Aluminum, Nickel, Cobalt, Lithium Hydroxide price and market overview

/0 Comments/in /by

The Electric bike materials purchase indicators are like below:

Moving commodities in July: Aluminium -5.2%, Nickel -6.3%, Lithium Hydroxide -11.8% and plastics in general (LLDPE (foil), PVC (foil), PC (clear bright) on average -7.4%). Crude oil (-10.8%) and rubber (-6.9%) dropped as well. Other materials moved within narrow ranges and the same applied to main currency pairs. Container shipping rates continued to rise from already elevated levels, Shanghai – EU+9.8% and China-EU +27%.

 

LME Metal Purchase indicators –Steel, Aluminum, Nickel, Cobalt, Lithium Hydroxide price and market overview

Original: www.lme.com

LME metals in 12 months: (USD/Ton)

Indicator Aug-23 Sep-23 Oct-23 Nov-23 Dec-23 Jan-24 Feb-24 Mar-24 Apr-24 May-24 Jun-24 Jul-24
Steel LME Far East 3 months 375 380 370 400 415 410 405 385 385 385 385 390
Aluminium LME 3 months 2,150 2,200 2,180 2,180 2,230 2,200 2,180 2,200 2,500 2,600 2,480 2,350
Aluminium China local 18,600 19,170 19,000 18,800 18,920 18,900 18,800 19,160 20,000 21,000 21,000 20,000
Nickel 20,500 19,500 18,290 16,500 16,400 16,100 16,200 17,500 18,600 19,800 17,500 16,400
Copper 8,380 8,300 7,950 8,250 8,450 8,350 8,350 8,730 9,400 10,100 9,600 9,400
Cobalt (3 months buyer) 32,500 32,500 32,500 32,500 30,000 28,200 27,900 27,780 27,600 26,900 26,300 25,900
Lithium Hydroxide 35500 28500 24000 21000 17000 15000 13250 13270 13700 14300 13600 12000

 

Steel: prices hardly moved (from USD 385/ton to USD 390/ton in July, and to ~USD 371/ton as of today), as news on continued demand weakness persisted in China:

  • China mandated new (higher) material quality standards starting in September, driving mills and traders to flood the market with old stockpiles.
  • China’s economy grew less than expected in Q2, and home prices slumped the most in nine years. The data reduced the global demand and Chinese economic output.

 

Aluminium: price dropped from USD 2,480/ton to USD 2,350/ton in July (-5.2%, ~USD 2,200/ton as of today), hovering near their lowest in five months.

  • Aluminum output in China rose by 6.2% y-o-y in June to 3.76 million tons, the highest since November 2014.
  • China economic data pointed at continued depressed domestic demand. Manufacturing PMI pointed to a third straight decline in July.
  • Chinese factories struggle offset the lower domestic demand with exports.

Aluminium local prices in China decreased from CNY 21,000/ton to CNY 20,000/ton in July (-4.8%, ~CNY 18,750/ton as of today).

Nickel: price dropped from USD 17.5K/ton to USD 16.4K/ton in July (-6.3%, today USD 16K/ton).

  • Rapid expansion of Indonesia’s nickel industry has driven the world market to oversupply.
  • A temporary rise earlier this year was driven by geopolitical tensions and sanctions is now unwinding.
  • Global nickel inventory forecasts predict a four-year high in 2024.
  • As a result of lower prices, BHP Group Ltd. has stopped 2 major nickel mining projects in Western Australia.

 

Cobalt: price decreased slightly from USD 26.3K/ton to USD 25.9k/ton in July (-1.5%, ~USD 25.6K/ton today).

 

Lithium Hydroxide: price declined from USD 13.6/kg to USD 12/kg in July (-11.8%, ~USD 11.3/kg today), the lowest in over three years.

  • Lithium miners and producers continued to expand capacity and seek new reserves (expected output growth is close to 50% this year).
  • Chile announced to double their output over the next decade.
  • The EU charges 38% and USA charges 100% import tax on Chinese EV, causing a 15% export drop in June.

 

E-scooter trial launched for West of England

/12 Comments/in /by

A 12-month trial of e-scooters is being rolled out across parts of the West of England.

Hop-on hop-off e-scooters run by Voi Technology Ltd will be available in Bristol, Bath and South Gloucestershire to help residents and visitors get around.

The e-scooters will be capped to a maximum speed of 15.5mph and cannot be used on pavements.

The trial is expected to begin later this month.

The Swedish company will provide the e-scooters for short or longer-term rental allowing residents to take them home if required.

The trial is being led by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) in partnership with Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire councils, with the cost of rides and unlocking due to be announced at a later date.

The Department of Transport passed legislation earlier this year to accelerate the deployment of e-scooter trials across the UK.

A trial in Coventry was paused after five days following concerns over pedestrian safety and e-scooters being abandoned on the streets.

Voi Technology’s general manager, Richard Corbett, said: “Voi is making use of licence plates to help identify any misuse of our e-scooters, as well as investing in ambassadors on the streets to ensure that any anti-social behaviour is stopped in its tracks.”

An e-scooter trial has also started in Cheltenham and Gloucester where Gloucestershire County Council has appointed e-scooter operator, Zwings.

The Zwings e-scooters began appearing on the streets on 1 October costing £1 to unlock, and then 15p or 20p a minute for every ride, depending on the location.

Riders of hired and leased e-scooters, through the West of England’s trial, can legally use them on roads, cycle lanes or cycle tracks and must hold a full or provisional driving licence.

Currently, privately-owned e-scooters are banned to use in the UK anywhere except on private land.

The Transport Committee of MPs has arguede-scooters should be legalised on roads but riding on pavements should be prohibited.