News coming out of China indicates the country set new records in 2023 for the import of crude oil, coal, and iron ore. The revelation caught many by surprise, but analysts caution that this may not really signify a robust demand for these essential materials. Nor does it indicate that there has been any reversal […]
Sohrab Darabshaw
India US Trade Leaders Ease Duties, Forge Steel & Aluminum Export Harmony
India US trade is primed to shift. Both countries seem eager to enter a new period of trade harmony, as India’s Ministries of Mines and Steel, along with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), recently set up an in-house system to oversee the export of steel and aluminum products to the […]
Mexico Imposes 80% Tariff on Vietnamese Steel Amid Trade Tensions, Mixed Steel Prices
Neither China nor rising global steel player Vietnam had a very good 2023 due to fluctuating steel prices and demand. Like some other steel-producing countries, both have primarily resorted to flooding foreign markets with cheap steel products to remain in the black. This has led to massive protests from countries where these imports land, including […]
India’s Steel Industry Battles Cheap Imports
Imports seem to be the biggest bugbear for the Indian steel industry. Cheap steel from China, Vietnam, and several other countries flooded the domestic market for months, putting Indian steel companies at a significant disadvantage. The problem is now so severe that representatives from the steel sector and the Indian Steel Ministry met earlier this month […]
Conflicting Reports Signal Chinese Aluminum Supply Uncertainty
Conflicting reports continue to emerge from China regarding aluminum supply, demand, and production. Some information notes that the downturn in the country’s economy is largely due to the ongoing real estate crisis. As demand wanes, this poses questions regarding the internal pickup of aluminum and other base metals. However, other reports talk of the country […]
China’s Changing Appetite: The Future of Australia’s Iron Ore Supply, Iron Ore Prices
An expected slowdown in China’s uptake and a world that is increasingly moving toward “green” iron ore and steel will be two crucial drivers affecting the future of iron production. This is especially true for Australia, one of the world’s largest miners of raw iron ore. Should demand change or iron ore prices shift dramatically, […]
Rich in Rare Earths, Vietnam Becomes a Center for Global Power Struggle
Vietnam finds itself wooed by two large world powers. However, this time, it is not over any geopolitical consideration, but for a resource that the modern world covets: rare earths. China and the U.S. are locked in a race to court a country that boasts the world’s second-largest rare earth deposits. However, much of Vietnam’s […]
Steel Production and Export Pressure Push India’s Steel Trade into a Deficit
India officially reported a trade deficit in steel shipments in the April-October 2023 period. Analysts cited a continue drop in export demand and shifting steel production levels as the primary reasons why they total value of imports was more than that of exports. Furthermore, the continued slow demand from major markets like Europe continues to […]
ArcelorMittal Halts Steel Production in Bosnia Amidst Europe’s Slump in Demand
A drop in steel demand throughout Europe proved the reason for ArcelorMittal temporarily suspending output at its Bosnia plant. The company remains a leading player in the steel industry, making approximately 700,000 tons of liquid steel every year and employing 2,200 workers. According to this report, company management moved to halt production due to a […]
Copper Mining Giant Ivanhoe Mines Announces New Mineral Resources in DRC
Canadian copper mining giant Ivanhoe Mines recently announced new “maiden” mineral resources for high-grade Makoko and Kiala deposits in its project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The company said that Makoko contains indicated mineral resources of 16 million tons (MT) at 3.55% copper. They also reported inferred mineral resources of 154 million tons […]
