The Rare Earths MMI (Monthly Metals Index) held sideways from January to February, moving up a slight 2.88%. Rare earths prices have proven more volatile in the past year than other metal products like steel. Now, it seems the rare earth market could witness more volatility in 2025. President Trump recently imposed a 10% tariff […]
Category: Global Trade
After Global Steel Production Dipped in 2024, What’s Next for the Industry?
According to the World Steel Association, global crude steel production in 2024 declined by about 1% year-on-year. With the data released, organizations now want to determine where steel prices might go for the rest of 2025. On January 24, the Brussels-based association stated that total volumes for the year were just over 1.88 billion metric […]
Trump’s Tariff Talk Sparks Fear: Will US Steel Imports Face the Axe in 2025?
“The import market is slow right now. We have seen a lot of pressure on imports,” one trader said on January 24. They were referring to the anti-dumping investigation on HRC imports from Japan, Egypt, India and Vietnam, which the European Commission started in August. The move followed a request by the European Steel Association, […]
EU Steel Imports Soar 12% as Importers Race Against Anti-Dumping Duties
Steel imports into the European Union rose by an average of more than 12% year on year in the first ten days of Q1 2025. As of January 13, information from Germany-headquartered Metals Consulting International (MCI) indicated that total steel industry import volumes transacted under Tariff Rate Quotas totaled 2.2 million metric tons. This far […]
Aluminum Divide: Experts Clash Over EU’s Proposed Sanctions on Russian Metal
For now, the aluminum sector seems divided on the impact that a proposed new ban on Russian aluminum exports by the European Commission may have on the global supply chain. It is an important question, especially as aluminum prices remain locked in a sideways trend. However, price did experience a slight upsurge at the news. […]
Copper MMI: LME, CME Copper Prices Bifurcate as Traders Bet on U.S. Tariffs
The Copper Monthly Metals Index (MMI) trended sideways overall, with a modest 0.65% decline from December to January. Meanwhile, the price of copper continues to react to new U.S. leadership and potential changes in trade policy. Traders Bet on Higher U.S. Copper Prices Ahead of President Trump’s inauguration, Comex copper prices started to break out […]
Automotive MMI: Trump’s Tariff Concerns & More Semiconductor Woes
The Automotive MMI (Monthly Metals Index) held sideways from December to January, dropping a mere 0.48%. The index has yet to show a lot of momentum in 2025, with no clear trend up or down. However, the U.S. automotive industry has raised concerns about Trump’s proposed tariffs on automotive imports from Canada, Mexico and China. […]
Iron Ore’s Rocky Road: Weak Steel Demand and Ample Supply Pressure Prices
All available indicators at the start of 2025 show that iron ore prices will likely remain subdued in the new year. According to the latest data, the supply side will remain strong. However, steel demand does not look very good – at least for now. BMI, a research agency under Fitch Solutions, was quoted in […]
Rare Earths MMI: The Trump Transition and What to Expect for U.S. Rare Earth Imports
The Rare Earths MMI (Monthly Metals Index) displayed bearish sentiment as it entered 2025, dropping by 3.08%. Weak Chinese demand for metals across the board had at least some impact on the downward direction of the index month-over-month. Considering major changes are underway in the global rare earth industry, this created downward short-term price pressure. […]
Indonesian Firms Rush to Capitalize on Nickel
According to a Forbes report, the nickel business has become so lucrative that billionaire Kiki Barki, who built his fortune in coal mining, is now steering his Harum Energy toward nickel. Harum accelerated its nickel expansion this year through a series of strategic deals. Meanwhile, nickel prices ended 2024 below their 2023 close. Harum Makes […]
