“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, […]
Category: Imports
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 […]
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. […]
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. […]
Construction MMI: China’s Export Tax Rebate Reverberates on U.S. Construction Market
The Construction MMI (Monthly Metals Index) held its sideways trend, dropping by a slight 1.09%. Despite a torrent of construction news, the index didn’t budge much month-over-month and had a minimal reaction to recent interest rate drops. The Fed will likely need to drop interest rates more aggressively for the construction index to display any […]
Déjà Vu for China: Copper Scrap Shortages Push Copper to New Heights
It’s déjà vu for China’s copper smelters. But how will it affect the global price of copper? The shortfall China faced in mid-2024 following the limited availability of copper ore in June led the country to significantly increase its imports of copper scrap as an alternative raw material. In fact, in the first five months […]
Trump’s Return: Will Tariffs and Green Tech Define the Future of HRC Prices?
Big changes seem to be coming for the steel industry in Europe and the U.S. The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, recently put forth a masterplan for a new industrial strategy in the 27-member bloc. Mainly the work of former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who now serves as special adviser to […]
Surging Exports and Stimulus Gains: Is China’s Steel Recovery Sustainable?
Are we seeing the first offshoots of a recovery in China’s steel industry? Some media outlets report that Chinese steel output turned positive for the first time in four months. This comes in the wake of the government’s efforts to restart the domestic economy, coupled with an improvement in demand for steel. In late September, […]
Automotive MMI: Automotive Industry Could Face Headwinds from Germany and Incoming Tariffs
The November Automotive MMI (Monthly Metals Index) found slightly more upward momentum than the prior month. While the index remained sideways, price action rose by 2.33%. That said, the US automotive market could witness headwinds from a combination of factors. First, Donald Trump`s win in the US election could mean incoming tariffs that will impact […]
EU Cracks Down on Anti-Dumping: Probe Into Imports from Asia and North Africa
The European Commission (EC) has begun to register hot rolled coil imports from several countries. The EU’s executive arm said the imports are the subject of an anti-dumping investigation for April 1, 2023, to March 31. The registrations concern imports of the flat rolled product from Egypt, Vietnam, Japan and India, the EU Official Journal […]
