The Construction MMI (Monthly Metals Index) held its sideways trend, budging down a slight 1.35%. Meanwhile, the U.S. construction industry faces a complex landscape shaped by recent policy changes, Trump tariffs and other economic factors. Tariffs and Their Effect on Construction Materials Steel remains a fundamental component of modern construction, playing a crucial role in […]
Tag: steel prices
Raw Steels MMI: Mills Push For Steel Price Increases, Tariffs on Deck
The Raw Steels Monthly Metals Index (MMI) remained sideways, with a modest 0.78% increase from January to February. However, steel prices could still be in for significant volatility. Mills Push for Price Increases After Weak Q4 As Q4 financial results started to pour in, they reflected a challenging end to 2024. While data from Cliffs […]
Automotive MMI: Market Witnesses Volatility with Tariff Concerns
The Automotive MMI (Monthly Metals Index) held sideways for the third month in a row, moving up a mere 0.62%. In January, the U.S. automotive industry faced significant developments affecting metals prices and manufacturing processes. Key factors included proposed tariffs, strategic investments in steel production and notable market reactions among automotive stocks. Tariff Panic and […]
Weak Markets Forces Swiss Steel to Trim Jobs and Revenues
Specialty and stainless longs producer Swiss Steel recently reached an agreement on a plan to reduce the workforce at its production site in Lucerne Canton, in central Switzerland. The move represents another blow to the European steel industry, which continues to struggle. The Lucerne-headquartered company now plans to reduce up to 50 positions at its […]
EU Steel Imports Soar 12% as Importers Race Against Anti-Dumping Duties
Steel imports into the European Union rose by an average of more than 12% year on year in the first ten days of Q1 2025. As of January 13, information from Germany-headquartered Metals Consulting International (MCI) indicated that total steel industry import volumes transacted under Tariff Rate Quotas totaled 2.2 million metric tons. This far […]
Raw Steels MMI: Nippon Acquisition of U.S. Steel Blocked, Bad News for Steel Buyers
The Raw Steels Monthly Metals Index (MMI) remained sideways with a slight downside bias, falling 1.49% from December to January. Meanwhile, the blocked sale of U.S. Steel could significantly affect steel prices in 2025. Biden Blocks Nippon-U.S. Steel Sale After the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) came to a split decision, the […]
Renewables MMI: Q4 Battery Metal Results & Trump Administration Anticipated Market Shifts
The Renewables MMI (Monthly Metals Index) dropped by 5.47% from December to January. Overall, renewable energy materials and battery metals experienced a somewhat bullish Q4. However, weak demand within China weighed heavily on metals like lithium and copper, and many market analysts expect the incoming Trump administration to place additional bearish sentiment on renewable energy […]
India Faces Steel Shock: Record Chinese Imports Threaten Domestic Producers
For India’s steel industry, what was feared is coming true. Initial government data shows that imports of finished steel from China hit a new record in the first eight months of the fiscal year ending March 2025. The news quickly sparked concerns among domestic steelmakers about the influx of cheaper Chinese shipments. India is the […]
EU Steel Crisis: Will Safeguards Save the Day?
In response to an ongoing crisis threatening the EU steel industry, the European Commission recently initiated a review of steel safeguards on imports. The move followed a request by 13 member states within the European Union. “The request is based on the challenging situation facing the EU steel sector, which has been exacerbated by an […]
Construction MMI: China’s Export Tax Rebate Reverberates on U.S. Construction Market
The Construction MMI (Monthly Metals Index) held its sideways trend, dropping by a slight 1.09%. Despite a torrent of construction news, the index didn’t budge much month-over-month and had a minimal reaction to recent interest rate drops. The Fed will likely need to drop interest rates more aggressively for the construction index to display any […]