Stainless steel prices in Asia have plateaued for now. But most suggest this is a temporary slowdown in advance of the Chinese New Year holidays. Thereafter, the market is likely to continue its relentless rise of the last two years. China stainless steel market ramps up output According to ArgusMedia, China’s production, imports and consumption […]
Stuart Burns
Have Asia-US, Asia-Europe container rates peaked?
Shipping lines have understandably come in for a huge amount of criticism over a doubling of ocean freights — in many cases, much more — over the last 12 months and a host of knock-on issues around container availability and vessel space. Shipments have been delayed both at origin in Asia and at destination in […]
China’s property market is a driver — and risk — for steel prices
Just about every review of growth in China — of steel prices or of iron ore demand — contains reference to China’s property market. Few countries in the world have a property sector that plays such a large and dynamic role in the country’s GDP. Furthermore, few have one that causes such concern among a […]
U.K. developing an integrated rare-earths-to-turbine supply chain
In a rare example of joined up governmental thinking, the announcement by Pensana Rare Earths that it has submitted a planning application for a $125 million rare earth oxide refining facility. The facility would be near Hull in northeast England and would plug a gap in an ore-to-finished-turbine manufacturing landscape developing rapidly in the U.K.’s […]
Indian industry groups put pressure on ministers to ban iron ore exports
A chorus of protests against Indian iron-ore exports — with associations of sponge iron and steel-forgings manufacturers making common cause with the India Steel Association (ISA) — has brought pressure on ministers to ban exports of iron ore. Of those exports, 90% goes to China. The groups are protesting in a bid to support domestic […]
‘Green’ aluminum gains momentum
Greg Barker, the executive chairman of En+ Group — owner of Rusal — had free rein in the Financial Times this week to promote the Russian aluminum producer’s green credentials. That is not to say there was not a valid underlying point to his article, namely that the aluminum and steel industries are heavy polluters […]
Germany’s ThyssenKrupp mulls steel division spinoff
German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp must be desperate to get rid of its steel business. The steelmaker makes a great range of products of world-class quality. The brand has undeniable strength as a result. However, it has not and cannot make money from it. ThyssenKrupp steel division posts losses The ThyssenKrupp steel division lost money last year. […]
What do China’s surging copper imports tell us about the economy for 2021?
China has had a fraction of the deaths and hospitalizations from the COVID-19 pandemic that Western societies have had. Furthermore, China had an economic bounceback that saw its GDP rise 2.3% last year. China’s bounceback The rebound has been impressive. Construction of new high-speed train lines to smaller provincial cities and new motorways connecting remote […]
Jaguar Land Rover stops production at Midlands plant as coronavirus’ third wave hits U.K.
Although auto plants were among many industries closed in the U.K. during the first lockdown last year, closures gave companies time to prepare working environments to be safe for workers. By the end of the first lockdown, most automakers were back in at least partial production with reduced manning. Auto sales have since been poor, […]
LME steel contracts build momentum
Steel is the world’s second-largest commodity after crude oil. It is 15 times the size of all other metals markets combined in terms of metric tons. Furthermore, it is worth twice their value. Yet, until recently, it was an industry that saw little use for a futures market. That is primarily because major steel participants […]
