by Know Common Cents » Sun Mar 06, 2011 7:52 pm
Most of the 40% is destined for melting. The warnix are tougher as they contain magnesium and (my understanding is) many are melted outside the US due to EPA regulations. Buy prices are likely under spot as they have a high risk already of the price dropping. In the case of the 40%, the smelters also recover some CU and Ni in the process.
My best guess is that refiners will pay 5-7% under spot for smaller lots and 1-3% under spot for larger lots. Smaller sellers with values under $25k may not even be of interest unless they have customers waiting. Keep in mind, too, that there's a cost (usually borne by the seller) just to get it to the refiner. Some may split for long-time customers, but they usually compensate for that through in other ways.
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