Steel is the world’s second-largest commodity after crude oil. It is 15 times the size of all other metals markets combined in terms of metric tons. Furthermore, it is worth twice their value. Yet, until recently, it was an industry that saw little use for a futures market. That is primarily because major steel participants […]
Category: Sourcing Strategies
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 […]
‘A’ is for allocation steel markets
Not so long ago on a fall night here in Chicago, I had the opportunity to meet up with a couple of folks from a steel producer. What they told me then sounded a little scary — they suggested the “A” word — but not nearly as scary as current market conditions suggest. In metals […]
Aluminum can market fizzes amid struggle to meet surging demand
Aerospace may be down, automotive is coming back, albeit going through immense change from internal combustion engine (ICE) to electric vehicles (EVs), but one sector of the aluminum market that is brewing up a storm is the aluminum can market. Are you prepared for your annual aluminum contract negotiations? Be sure to check out our […]
The case for globalization is on shakier ground
The widely, if not universally, held belief that globalization is a win-win panacea for growth has never looked shakier. While President Donald Trump has led the charge on calling out the failings of unfettered engagement with China and all that entails in terms of loss of manufacturing capability and sharing of hard-won technology, he is […]
Week in Review: Rising copper price; RARE Act; MetalMiner 2021 Annual Outlook
It was another action-packed week in the world of metals, including coverage from Stuart Burns on the rising copper price, developments in the rare earths sector and the release of the MetalMiner 2021 Annual Outlook report. The 2021 Annual Outlook is an invaluable resource for metals buyers preparing to set their spend for the year […]
Steel, copper and aluminum prices for 2020-2021: how to budget and forecast
We are only two days away from 2021’s MetalMiner Budget and Forecast Workshop on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020. Many metal buyers are about to lock themselves into pricing for the next 12 months – in a very, very, very unsteady world. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that flexibility is key. Going into negotiations, […]
Metals forecasting, contracting mechanisms and more: sign up for the MetalMiner 2021 Forecasting Workshop
Metals buyers should always be looking for every possible edge to manage their spend, particularly amid volatile times (like we’ve seen this year). In the MetalMiner 2021 Forecasting Workshop, held virtually this year, attendees will: Hear from MetalMiner experts on short- and long-term metals outlooks Beta test MetalMiner’s should-cost models Gain valuable insights vis-à-vis metals […]
Don Hauser: Five things to watch out for heading into steel contracting season
This has been a volatile year for global markets, with already slowing economic growth compounded by the destructive impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
