Why has the price of tin jumped in recent weeks? The economic rebound in Japan and parts of Europe has spurred increased demand for the commodity. Tin is used for soldering, especially in electronics. Inventories are down 50%.

The increased demand has come with falling production, especially in Indonesia, the world's largest producer. Tin prices have risen 30% in two months. On the London Metals Exchange (LME), tin traded as high as $20,750 per ton. This is the highest level since August 2008.

Continue reading Tin Prices Soar to Over $20,000 per Ton

Tin Prices Soar to Over $20,000 per Ton originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here's an interesting dynamic. Copper prices in Shanghai were higher than those on the LME. This allows traders to import copper at a profit. This helps to explain why there was such strong buying on the LME.

Copper was able to ignore the settlement of a strike at a Chilean copper mine.

Continue reading Chinese Buying Spurs Copper Rally to a 16-Month High

Chinese Buying Spurs Copper Rally to a 16-Month High originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Guerilla consumer groups testing toys for lead in stores originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

According to the New York Times, "Kmart said yesterday that it would remove all jewelry advertised as 'lead free' from its shelves after workers at lead monitoring programs who tested the pieces found that some actually contained high concentrations of the metal."

One charm labeled lead-free was 52% lead. What is interesting here is that it raises questions about how much responsibility companies have about products that they source from third-party manufacturers.

Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) ended up embroiled in a minor scandal after a New York Times piece found that products the company was selling (the material in question was manufactured by a third party) -- labeled as containing seaweed -- actually contained no seaweed. While it sent the stock down as much as 9%, the share price ended up closing higher on the day of the story. Lululemon has since put out a press release refuting the New York Times claim, saying that its products actually do contain what they say they contain.

The legal issues could be murky. But these companies know that consumers aren't going to want to shop at stores in which products are labeled in a misleading way, and so they're taking steps to evaluate manufacturers' claims -- before the New York Times does.

Kmart pulls lead-free items that contain lead originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 17 Nov 2007 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Will we soon start seeing vigilante recalls like this one from Amazon.com as retailers work to minimize their risk in toy recalls?
• Does it cost enough to effect a recall that it might make sense to anger a major supplier like Mattel?
• Isn't this recall just a little bit too ironic? My blood pressure is rising, too!

Lead, toys, and irony: Amazon.com pulls Fisher Price toy medical kit originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 06 Nov 2007 17:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Lead scares have moved from toys to lipstick. If you use L'Oreal or Cover Girl lipstick you could be exposing yourself to lead levels the Food and Drug Administration does not allow in candy, according to a study by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC). L'Oreal is based in Paris and Cover Girl lipsticks are marketed by Proctor & Gamble (NYSE: PG).

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics said 20 of 33 brand name lipsticks had detectable levels of lead. The FDA is now conducting its own tests, but the agency spokesperson told Bloomberg News that it has not found dangerous levels previously.

CSC said they found lead levels ranging from 0.03 part per million to 0.65 part per million, which Harvard environmental epidemiology professor Joel Schwartz told Bloomberg can have the potential to increase risks of health hazards. Long term exposure to lead can result in higher blood pressure, kidney damage and loss of mental function.

In fact, CSC found that one-third of the lipsticks tested had lead levels that exceed the FDA's 0.1 per million limit for lead in candy. The products with levels exceeding 0.1 part per million included L'Oreal's Colour Riche True Red, Cover Girl's Incredifull Lipcolor Maximum Red and Maybelline's Moisture Extreme Cocoa Plum.

CSC wants cosmetics companies to test their products for lead. They also asked companies to require suppliers to guarantee that raw materials are lead-free. Neither seem to be outrageous requests.

How much of an impact will this have on P&G stock? Don't expect to see much yet, but if the FDA confirms CSC findings, P&G's stock will take a hit.

Is there lead in your lipstick? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Oct 2007 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Recalled Mattel (MAT) toys found to have 180 times the lead limit

Recalled Mattel (MAT) toys found to have 180 times the lead limit originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Mattel's third toy recall: Parents response ho-hum, could Barbie survive?

Mattel's third toy recall: Parents response ho-hum, could Barbie survive? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 05 Sep 2007 13:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In an effort to better understand the lead-in-toys scandal, I had a chance today to talk to an industry expert on the topic. Dr. Marcia Stone holds a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry and is Founder/President of Hybrivet Systems, a manufacturer of lead-testing equipment for industry and home use. She has worked in the lead testing field for 15 years.

I asked Dr, Stone why manufacturers would use lead paint? She explained that "Lead in paint provides a hard, glossy, pretty finish, the reason it was once used extensively in expensive housing. Leaded paint is also easy to work with and inexpensive."

What lead-containing products have you found on American shelves that consumers should be concerned about?
"The scandal over lead in children's jewelry is not over; we continue to find these products for sale," said Stone. She told me manufacturers will use a core of lead in cheap jewelry and cover it with nickel plating or paint, or use a solder containing lead in its construction. Children often chew on their jewelry, and as little as three milligrams of lead, about the size of three grains of sugar, can kill a child. Since lead has a sweet taste, the propensity for children to ingest it is even greater.

Continue reading An expert's view of the lead-in-toys scandal

An expert's view of the lead-in-toys scandal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 15 Aug 2007 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Go bearish on Mattel (MAT) after expanded recall

Go bearish on Mattel (MAT) after expanded recall originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 14 Aug 2007 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.