The cobalt mining industry, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has received backlash in both the past and present for human rights concerns. In the DRC, children as young as seven are sometimes employed to work in hazardous conditions to collect cobalt, a crucial material for electric car batteries, smartphones and other modern […]
Tag: China
Has China Lost its Grip on the Global Steel Industry?
Amidst continuing reports of an economic downturn with little or no sign of improvement now comes a report that the Chinese Government has suspended the system allowing approval of new steel plants. It is a move that could have significant implications for the Chinese steel industry and global steel manufacturing as a whole. According to […]
Why Are Aluminum Prices Up Despite Ample Supply?
Falling exchange prices and rising LME inventories this year indicate that primary aluminum is currently in ample supply. So far, aluminum prices have slightly increased since the beginning of the month as inventory levels have steadily declined. However, while the metal leaving the exchange has been Indian, a good, deliverable brand, the metal arriving has […]
China’s Steel Dumping Finally Under Global Scrutiny
China’s direct dumping of steel in foreign markets and indirect dumping via proxy countries are finally under the global lens. According to the Malaysian Trade Ministry, the country recently launched an investigation into whether or not to impose anti-dumping duties on flat-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products imported from China as well as India, Japan […]
Copper MMI: Mining Resumption, China Pose Risk to Copper Prices
Overall, the Copper Monthly Metals Index (MMI) fell 4.56% from July to August. Aside from a short-lived rise at the start of July, copper prices today remain in a downtrend, with prices falling 5.76% from the previous month. Prices did manage to rebound in August, although not enough to signal a trend reversal. (Follow copper […]
Aluminum MMI: Aluminum Prices Rise, Downside Risks Remain
The Aluminum Monthly Metals Index (MMI) continued to drop, with a 5.14% decline from July to August. The price of aluminum continued to deflate before finding a bottom at the close of July. Overall, aluminum prices witnessed a 9.07% decline throughout the month, followed by a modest 2.26% rise during the first half of August. […]
Iron Ore Prices Sink Below $100 as China’s Steel Mills Face Crisis
Iron ore prices hit the headlines again after dipping below the psychological barrier of US $100 per ton this Monday. It was the fourth time it crossed the threshold in a fortnight. This recent drop was nearly 30% below iron ore’s peak of $144 a ton, which it achieved in January this year. As a […]
Europe’s Answer to China’s Rare Earth Monopoly
Rare earth elements and semiconductors have taken on that critical national development role once occupied by oil and petroleum products. Despite the ongoing U.S.-China competition, the latter country controls a full 90% of the global rare earths supply, transforming these elements into potential political weapons. With regard to semiconductors, China’s Civilian-Military Integration Strategy aims to […]
Automotive MMI: EV Demand Failing to Boost Overall Metal Demand
The Automotive MMI (Monthly Metals Index) maintained a steady sideways trend month-over-month, only moving down 2.53%. Overall steel demand remains tepid, which left little bullish sentiment for hot-dipped galvanized steel. Meanwhile, other metals prices, including copper, dropped after their speculative rallies cooled off in July. Overall, the components of the automotive index had little to […]
Rare Earths MMI: China’s Metal Demand Weakens: What It Means for U.S. Rare Earth Buyers
The bears continued to make their way into the Rare Earths MMI (Monthly Metals Index), with yet another drop in price action, this time by 6.93%. Many factors pulled at rare earths prices overall, including oversupply, weak demand for metals within China and shifting dynamics in global rare earths supplies. It seems China’s over-production of […]
