President Joe Biden’s latest executive order seeks to secure a variety of important supply chains. For example, in one higher-profile case, General Motors recently announced it would extend downtimes at several plants as a result of a semiconductor shortage. As we’ve noted in our Rare Earths Monthly Metals Index (MMI) series, rare earths supply has […]
Category: Logistics
This Morning in Metals: Officials break ground for AM/NS Calvert expansion project
This morning in metals news: officials held a groundbreaking ceremony at the AM/NS Calvert mill earlier this month; President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order that calls for assessments of several critical supply chains; and US housing starts fell in January. AM/NS Calvert officials hail expansion project Officials celebrated the imminent expansion […]
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 […]
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 […]
This Morning in Metals: USTR releases annual WTO compliance report for China, Russia
This morning in metals news: the United States Trade Representative released its annually mandated report covering the WTO rules compliance of China and Russia; U.S. Steel officially closed on its acquisition of the remaining equity of Big River Steel; and the Pilbara Ports Authority earlier this month reported shipping data for December. USTR releases annual […]
This Morning in Metals: U.S. steel capacity utilization rate rises to 75.4%
This morning in metals news: U.S. steel capacity utilization reached 75.4% for the week ending Jan. 9; General Motors announced the launch of BrightDrop; and Rusal America announced a new line of aluminum additive manufacturing powders. Volatility is the name of the game. Do you have a steel buying strategy that can handle the ups […]
U.K.’s electric vehicle supply chain needs an electrifying jolt
Automotive producers the world over are facing challenges, but the U.K. automotive industry is arguably in the most challenging environment of all. Become part of the MetalMiner LinkedIn group and stay connected to trends we’re watching and interesting metal facts. U.K. automotive sector faces headwinds Over the last year, COVID-19 restrictions have closed showrooms. Furthermore, […]
Could the pandemic achieve what President Trump’s trade war failed to do?
Could the coronavirus pandemic bring about more reshoring in the U.S.? The question is not just of interest in the U.S. By many measures, Europe has been hit as severely by the pandemic. If anything, Europe is even more reliant on global supply chains than the U.S. The political philosophy that underpinned the Trump administration’s […]
Week in Review: Organic molecules and machinability; gold prices; allocation market for steel
Before we head into the penultimate weekend of 2020, let’s take a look back at the week that was and some of the metals storylines here on MetalMiner, including: research findings related to organic molecules’ impact on machinability; gold prices; and the arrival of an allocation market for steel-buying organizations, as explained by MetalMiner CEO […]
Ongoing trouble on the high seas: container shortages, port congestion continue
The shortage of containers in Asia, which we reported in detail last month, has been ongoing, as has the continuation of port congestion across the U.K. and Northern Europe. Combined, these problems are having a profound impact on sea freight services. Sign up today for Gunpowder, MetalMiner’s free, biweekly e-newsletter featuring news, analysis and more. […]
