“People are running around the world looking for rare earth elements.” This one sentence in the South China Morning Post, quoting James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania, sums up the current rare earths situation well. Chin’s comment is even more true following the recent supply disruptions in Myanmar, which caused […]
Category: Manufacturing
Rare Earths MMI: Market Unstable With Multiple Supply Chain Disruptions. Are the Bulls Coming?
The Rare Earths MMI (Monthly Metals Index) saw its upward price action slow as prices experienced only a slight uptick of 0.38%. While upward price action for rare earths did lose steam month-over-month, prices could soon witness another bullish boost. Not only did China’s rare earth export ban go into effect as of October 1, […]
Tata Steel’s Massive EAF Deal with Tenova Signals End of Blast Furnace Era
Indian steel industry leader Tata Steel recently announced that it had signed a contract with an Italian company to install a new electric arc furnace at its Port Talbot facility in Wales. Tata stated in an October 18 announcement that Lombardy-headquartered Tenova is to supply one EAF with an annual capacity of 3 million metric […]
Rio Tinto’s $6.7B Arcadium Lithium Acquisition Set to Transform Battery Market
Australia-headquartered multinational mining company Rio Tinto is all set to add a world-class lithium mining business to its portfolio. A few days ago, the firm announced a definitive agreement that would see the company acquire Arcadium Lithium PLC in an all-cash transaction. The reported cost is US $5.85 per share, which would put the deal […]
Jindal Group Secures European Foothold with Acquisition of Vítkovice Steel
India’s Jindal Group has acquired Czech flats producer Vítkovice Steel. The Ostrava-based company released the information to steel news outlets on October 7, stating that Jindal will acquire a 100% stake in the company from its current owners, subject to clearance from anti-monopoly authorities. “Vítkovice Steel has been cooperating with Jindal Group for more than […]
ArcelorMittal’s New Ladle Furnace Powers Up for a 10% Carbon Cut
Steel industry leader ArcelorMittal recently commissioned a new, two-stand ladle furnace at its Fos-sur-Mer site in southern France. The Luxembourg-headquartered group stated that the furnace will cut carbon emissions from the flats producer by up to 10%. In an October 3 announcement, ArcelorMittal stated that each of the two stands on the new equipment can […]
ThyssenKrupp Steel Warns of Cuts on Poor Steel Market
German steel industry leader ThyssenKrupp Steel (TKS) recently warned that workers at the Duisburg-headquartered company face deep cuts due to a declining European steel market. On September 28, German media quoted Dennis Grimm, executive board spokesperson for TKS, as saying, “The current market situation has deteriorated again in recent months, and unfortunately, there is no […]
Raw Steels MMI: Steel Prices Edge Higher as Output Plummets
The Raw Steels Monthly Metals Index (MMI) moved sideways, with a mere 0.12% increase from September to October. U.S. flat rolled steel prices showed mixed direction during September. HRC prices traded up, CRC prices moved sideways and HDG prices traded down. However, CRC and HDG prices found at least a short-term bottom in September. By […]
Tata Steel’s High-Stakes Bet: £500M Government-Backed Plan to Modernize Port Talbot
After signing a grant funding agreement with the UK government, Tata Steel is eyeing a 2027 start-up of two new electric arc furnaces at its Port Talbot plant in Wales. Many in the steel industry consider the switchover to be a real test for Tata, the UK government, and “green” technology. “Tata Steel has already […]
Raw Steels MMI: Steel Prices Remain Sideways Ahead of Cuts
The Raw Steels Monthly Metals Index (MMI) moved sideways, with a 2.34% decline from August to September. U.S. steel prices trended either sideways or down over recent weeks. HRC and CRC prices appeared to find a bottom in August but did not show enough momentum to the upside to form an uptrend. Meanwhile, HDG prices […]
