U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday signed the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law. The bill includes funding to upgrade the country’s transportation infrastructure, electric grid and more. As such, the projects will certainly need metals like steel, copper and aluminum, among others. In that vein, we recently chatted with Mike Stier, […]
Stuart Burns
Inflation and tariffs — what’s the connection?
Inflation is currently a hot topic on Wall Street and in Washington. For many, it’s a much more immediate issue than other major issues, like the impact of climate change. A recent Financial Times post in the paper’s Trade Secrets newsletter posed a somewhat controversial but not inappropriate question: could removing tariffs be the answer […]
Is the LME running out of metal?
The headline poses a rhetorical question — we can all see the rundown in LME inventory this year. However, the question is intended to raise two issues. First, while in many cases analysts will point to falling inventory levels as a reason for rising prices, the current ultra-low levels of LME stocks support the point […]
Strong aluminum market reflected in stellar Novelis results
Aluminum buyers just about everywhere have suspected their suppliers have been making the most of a tight market to maximize their returns this year. Those fortunate enough to have fixed aluminum prices for the year back in early 2021 will be anxiously looking at 2022 renewals. The majority, however, will be licking their wounds following […]
Could Russia’s aluminum export tax be coming to an end next month?
When news of Russia’s export tax on primary aluminum came out in the summer, it caused an increase in LME prices. More significantly, however, physical delivery premiums — such as the Midwest premium, the Rotterdam premium and the Main Japanese Port (MJP) premium — also increased. See why technical analysis is a superior forecasting methodology […]
Miners hold out potential to become carbon neutral
With COP-26 running this week in Glasgow, the environment has been one of the main topics in the news. Rightly so, many of you will say. We are doing a pretty fine job of trashing the planet, so it’s about time we collectively did what we can to reverse the damage. Unfortunately, the metals industry […]
Aluminum prices collapse 20% in just two weeks — so what’s next?
While not alone in seeing ongoing price falls, across the metals sector prices have been in decline for two weeks now. The higher power content of primary aluminum has driven a plunge in prices that have caught many by surprise and still has the potential to go further. We’re offering timely emails with exclusive analyst […]
US, EU deal on Section 232 tariffs calls for sustainability cooperation
As we predicted last month, the U.S. and E.U. have used the recent G20 summit in Rome to announce an end to hostilities over the steel and aluminum Section 232 tariffs imposed by the previous Trump administration and perpetuated by President Joe Biden. “We have agreed with the US to pause our steel and aluminium […]
Steel producers fear magnesium shortages will hit production in Europe
We wrote recently on the impact rising silicon, magnesium and manganese prices out of China were having on the aluminum industry. Many European mills had issued advisories, essentially putting their customers on notice about possible delivery delays and softening them up for the possibility of cost increases. Well, now it is steel’s turn to sound […]
Oil prices on the rise amid signs of distress heading into winter
Goldman Sachs seems to think oil prices could hit $100 per barrel by the end of the year. So do many consumers, fearing further inflationary pressure on costs that have risen across the commodities landscape this year. We’re offering timely emails with exclusive analyst commentary and some best practice advice. Sign up here. Oil inventories […]
