The Biden-Harris Administration today announced that they would “prioritize the purchase of key low-carbon construction materials, covering 98% of materials purchased by the Federal government.” As steel plants shutter around the world, this is a boon to U.S. manufacturers concerned about dropping steel prices. The announcement highlights the latest section of the “Buy Clean” initiative, […]
Category: Manufacturing
Metal Production, Copper Extraction, and the Upcoming Price Transformation
At the start of this year, Rio Tinto PLC and the Mongolian Government announced they had reached an historic agreement with copper and metal manufacturing. The announcement came after a long tussle over the $6.93 billion expansion project for the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mining project. Last week, Rio Tinto agreed to buy out Turquoise Hill […]
Steel Manufacturing: ArcelorMittal Poland Plans Extended Shut-Down
On September 8, ArcelorMittal Poland announced it would take Blast Furnace No. 3 at the Dąbrowa Górnicza steel manufacturing plant off stream starting in late September. According to the company, the temporary measure is a response to current market conditions throughout Europe. At the moment, ArcelorMittal plans to have the furnace of stream for approximately […]
Rare Earths Companies Experience Cyber Attacks
For the longest time, the world relied solely on China for its supply of rare earths. Now, it seems that most countries have woken up to the “rare earths reality.” That is, we are starting to understand how important these elements are for vital sectors like defense as well as for products we use every […]
Base Metal Prices Contradict the Changing Supply Scenario
Given the state of the world, one would expect base metal prices to show every sign of a resurgence. Certainly, analysts have been bullish about a supply squeeze for months because sky-high natural gas prices forced record electricity costs across Europe. Just this week, the FT reported that Aluminum and Zinc smelters continue to close […]
France Takes Emergency Measures to Promote Renewable Energy
Rare earths and renewable energy are two sectors that almost every country races to dominate. One of these nations, France, takes serious strides towards this goal. Recently, the French government announced an emergency measures package to hasten renewable energy development. Rising infrastructure costs recently pushed the French government towards this decision. Along with the rest […]
Russian Steel Producer MMK Added to Latest US Sanctions List
On August 2, the United States officially added integrated steelmaker Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel (MMK) and its chairman Viktor Rashnikov to its list of sanctioned entities. The move is yet another punitive measure in response to Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine, in hopes that the steel manufacturing sanction will place more economic pain on Russia. […]
Renewable/GOES MMI: Renewable Prices Nose-Dive, GOES Remains Strong
The Renewables MMI (Monthly Metals Index) dropped significantly from June to July. All in all, the index fell a staggering 22.05%. How will this impact steel prices today? Problems With China’s Solar Panel Manufacturing Dominance Some experts say that initiatives aimed at creating a zero-carbon future are being impacted by dependence on Chinese solar panels. […]
China Steel Mills Hurting, Iron Ore Prices Reeling
2022 has been a roller coaster ride for iron ore prices, which dipped yet again on Monday. Of course, demand from Chinese steel remains the top reason for either a rise or downturn in prices. This week, as it turns out, was no different. In fact, prices tumbled immediately after analysts explained their “bleak outlook” […]
Automotive MMI: Industrial Metal Supply Woes, EV Demand Grows
The Automotive MMI (Monthly Metals Index) experienced another decline from June to July. After a -6.53 drop last month, the 30-day price change jumped to -7.77%. As with the previous months, the automotive industrial metal marketplace has been plagued by problems. Curiously enough, it’s supply – not demand – that can’t make any headway towards […]
