The Aluminum Monthly Metals Index (MMI) increased by 0.9% this month, as aluminum prices traded mostly sideways but remained historically high. Are you under pressure to generate aluminum cost savings? Make sure you are following these five best practices. Aluminum prices Throughout June, LME aluminum prices cooled off. However, in the last week of the […]
Year: 2021
Russia’s metal export duty a ‘broadside shot’
Russia’s plan to introduce from Aug. 1 a temporary export duty on metal exports has brought varied reactions from European industry watchers and market participants. “It’s about showing the strength of the Russian metals industry,” one analyst told MetalMiner. Russia’s planned tariff may also be a retaliatory measure against Europe and its proposed carbon tax […]
This Morning in Metals: Rio Tinto, POSCO sign climate MoU
This morning in metals news: miner Rio Tinto and POSCO, South Korea’s largest steel producer, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work toward a low-carbon-emission steel value chain; meanwhile, Steel Dynamics announced plans to reach carbon neutrality by 2050; and, lastly, U.S. job openings were little changed in May from the previous month. […]
Automotive MMI: Auto sales rose throughout June, Q2 despite supply constraints
The Automotive Monthly Metals Index (MMI) slipped by 0.7% for this month’s index reading, as U.S. auto sales surged in June and Q2. Each month, MetalMiner hosts a webinar on a specific metals topic. Explore the upcoming webinars and sign up for each on the MetalMiner Events page. US auto sales Among the top […]
Pain continues for European aluminum buyers
Just when European aluminum buyers thought the situation could not get any worse, the Russian authorities decided to slap export duties — set at 15% as a base rate or a specific minimum of $254 per ton — on exports of aluminium ingot and billet. The export tariffs will apply to some 340 nonferrous and […]
This Morning in Metals: U.S. steel capacity utilization rises to 83.0%
This morning in metals news: U.S. steel capacity utilization rose to 83.0% last week; meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Commerce is now requiring and collecting aluminum import licenses; and, lastly, General Motors said it will source U.S.-based lithium. The MetalMiner Best Practice Library offers a wealth of knowledge and tips to help buyers stay on […]
India steel production rises as companies commission new projects
India’s steel story continues to grow in 2021. New plants are being commissioned and major steel companies are reporting growth in production, too. India’s leading producer, Tata Steel, for example, has reported in the current quarter of fiscal year 2022, production of 4.62 million tons against 2.99 million in the same period last year. Are […]
Cracks beginning to show in OPEC position on production cuts
In a relatively rare example of disagreement — or, at least, such public disagreement — usually close allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have failed to reach agreement last week on an extension to the oil output cuts scheduled to expire in April 2022. Saudi Arabia and the other 23 members of […]
This Morning in Metals: US fossil fuel consumption drops to lowest in nearly 30 years in 2020
This morning in metals news: U.S. fossil fuel consumption last year fell to its lowest level in nearly 30 years; nonfarm payroll employment rose by 850,000 in June; and, lastly, the American Iron and Steel Institute commented on the House’s INVEST in America Act. Each month, MetalMiner hosts a webinar on a specific metals topic. […]
Post-Brexit Britain aims to fulfill its commitments to free trade
In one of its first tests as a free trading global economy after Brexit, Britain achieved a middling mark this past week. Trade minister Liz Truss accepted its independent, newly established Trade Remedies Authority recommendation to scrap some quotas on imports that had been carried over from the European Union in 2019 prior to Brexit. […]