Throughout 2024, China worked to control its rapidly growing copper smelters, which were lowering profit margins amid a bustling copper market. In response, China has released new, more stringent regulations for the construction of new copper smelters. The move aims to keep excess capacity in check. However, it’s a slowdown rather than a complete halt […]
Category: Supply & Demand
Renewables MMI: What’s Next for Renewables With Recent Policy Changes?
The Renewables MMI (Monthly Metals Index) witnessed its highest rise in over five months, with the renewable resources index increasing by 6.58% month-over-month. This was mostly due to GOES (grain-oriented electrical steel) and neodymium shooting up in price in reaction to recent policy changes. U.S. Policy Shifts Reshape Renewable Energy Market and Metal Prices The […]
Aluminum MMI: Aluminum Prices Stable, Premiums Bullish Amid Tariff Threats
The Aluminum Monthly Metals Index (MMI) continued to move sideways, with a modest 1.11% rise from January to February. In the face ongoing tariff threats, LME aluminum prices remained consolidated while the Midwest Premium surged. Tariffs Add Chaos to the Aluminum Market Since President Trump’s term started, the aluminum market has been squarely in the […]
Trump’s Tariffs: EU Warns of ‘Firm and Proportionate’ Counterstrike
European bodies recently criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s order to introduce tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports entering the country. Meanwhile, experts at home and abroad continue to evaluate how the trade dispute will affect steel prices and aluminum prices. The European Commission, the European Union’s executive arm, recently vowed that it would respond […]
Iron Ore Prices Poised for an Early Comeback in 2025?
Predictions for iron ore prices in 2025 remain mostly mixed, but early signs in the new year indicate an upward trend, at least in Asian markets. According to a report by Reuters, one positive indication was a northward trend of iron ore futures prices on China’s Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) last Monday. The DCE’s most-traded […]
Copper MMI: Copper Prices Up as Comex Premium Advances
The Copper Monthly Metals Index (MMI) held sideways, although the upside bias appeared to accelerate. In total, the index rose 1.64% from January to February, supported by rising U.S. copper prices. Keep up with the latest tariff news impacting copper prices. Subscribe to MetalMiner’s free weekly newsletter. Copper Prices Bullish as Exchange Delta Grows Traders […]
Trade War Starts Between World’s Two Leading Economies
The so-called “Trump Tariffs” imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump caused uncertainty in the global metals market earlier in the week. Though he did pause imposing tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada for one month, there could still me plenty more chaos down the road. The current tariffs include a 25% levy on goods […]
Rare Earths MMI: 10% Chinese Tariff – How Much Will it Impact Rare Earths?
The Rare Earths MMI (Monthly Metals Index) held sideways from January to February, moving up a slight 2.88%. Rare earths prices have proven more volatile in the past year than other metal products like steel. Now, it seems the rare earth market could witness more volatility in 2025. President Trump recently imposed a 10% tariff […]
Aluminum’s Paradox: Prices Hold Strong Despite Global Economic Slump
GDP growth in China and the United States, the world’s two largest aluminum consumers, has slowed for months. Meanwhile, Europe and Japan continued to struggle with stagnant growth for much of 2024. Though still fluctuating within a range, aluminum prices have pushed toward the top in recent weeks. For this reason, many consumers continue to […]
Greenland Is Not for Sale—but Could It Become America’s Strategic Partner?
According to media reports, President-elect Trump’s allies in The House of Representatives have proposed a bill dubbed “‘Make Greenland Great Again.” The proposed bill aims to hurry up the negotiation process with Denmark (Greenland is abundant with rare earths), following Trump’s repeated remarks about “buying” the island. If passed, it will pave the way for […]
