The Stainless Monthly Metals Index (MMI) moved sideways, with a modest 0.32% increase from July to August. Though it also remained flat for the month, the nickel price continued on an overall downtrend. Stainless Mills Note Weak Demand Despite a round of price hikes in recent months, the stainless market remains weak, with no evidence […]
Category: Manufacturing
Rare Earths MMI: Rare Earth Metals Market in Flux as U.S. Intervenes and Prices Rise
The Rare Earths MMI (Monthly Metals Index) moved sideways, rising a modest 0.37%. Overall, the global rare earth metals market has seen a whirlwind of developments in the past few weeks, sending ripples through both supply chains and pricing. A series of U.S. and Chinese policy moves, from Washington’s unprecedented price support for rare earth […]
Critical Metals in the Spotlight as Gallium Takes Center Stage in Global Tech Push
Australia may well emerge as one of the few non-China sources for the supply of gallium metal, a valuable mineral used in electronics, LEDs and semiconductors. In a move toward critical mineral diversification, Alcoa of Australia recently reported that it had signed a Joint Development Agreement with Japan Australia Gallium Associates Pty Ltd (JAGA) to […]
European Steel Giant Shuts Down, What Will Happen Now?
ArcelorMittal plans to idle blast furnace No. 3 at its Dąbrowa Górnicza plant in Poland’s Silesian Voivodeship. The steel industry giant made the initial announcement back in September, citing current and future market factors. “The reason for this decision stems from the extremely difficult and constantly deteriorating market conditions,” ArcelorMittal Poland said on July 24. […]
China Doubles Down in Africa for Copper While India Quietly Makes Its Move
Both China and India are now jostling for exploration and mining rights across the African continent. Over the last decade, China has rapidly expanded its presence in Africa’s growing copper market, securing critical mineral supplies to fuel its green energy ambitions. With copper demand surging globally due to the growth of electric vehicles, renewable energy, […]
ThyssenKrupp Bets €800M on Strip Mill Overhaul
German flats producer ThyssenKrupp Steel recently commissioned a modernized strip mill at its main site in Duisburg as well as new upstream equipment. On July 4, the steel industry titan released a statement detailing that the modernized hot rolled strip mill will be able to roll 3.1 million metric tons of hot rolled coil in […]
Raw Steels MMI: Steel Prices Steady Ahead of Trade Deals
The Raw Steels Monthly Metals Index (MMI) trended sideways, with a 1.37% increase from June to July. With a few exceptions, steel prices remained largely steady as long-awaited trade deals with the U.S. began to materialize. Nippon Officially Acquires U.S. Steel After an arduous 18-month process, Nippon Steel officially acquired U.S. Steel. Initially blocked by […]
Is BYD’s Hungary Plant a Steel Game-Changer for Europe?
Chinese automaker BYD recently appointed Austria’s Voestalpine as its first steel supplier for the planned production plant in Hungary. On June 24, the Linz-headquartered steel industry leader officially announced it will begin supplying autobody and outer-skin components from its rolling mills to BYD’s Szeged plant in Q4 2025. Szeged sits about 180 kilometers south of […]
Steel Giant Bows Out: Who’s Taking Over Bosnia’s Mills?
ArcelorMittal recently announced the sale of its steel plant as well as its stake in its iron ore mine in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with news reporting stating that the steel industry giant will unload the plant to Bosnian industrial conglomerate Pavgord Group. According to the details of the deal, Pavgord Group will acquire the longs […]
Can a $673M Railway Deal Keep British Steel on “Track?”
British Steel has secured a 5-year agreement to supply rail to Network Rail, the infrastructure manager of the UK’s rail network. Under the tenets of the deal, the steelmaker will provide 70,000 to 80,000 metric tons per year. In a June 17 statement, British Steel reported that the contract is worth £500 million (almost $673 […]