Category: CRU

The start-up of an EAF at Port Talbot, south Wales, could be 12 months later than planned.

Global output will remain broadly flat this year, with further downgrades in Europe due to ongoing costs, regulatory, and competitive pressures, as well as a weaker economic outlook and rising inflationary pressures.

Steelmaker Tyasa has launched the first stage of a $250 million special bar quality (SBQ) at its Ixtaczoquitlan plant in Veracruz, central Mexico

There is increasing evidence that the current La Niña weather phenomenon is coming to an end, and that we are quickly moving into an El Niño cycle already in the next few months.

US domestic steel prices continued to increase for most products as demand remained resilient amid tight supply. Domestic sheet and plate prices increased over the past month, while long products prices were mostly stable, with only structural and merchant bar prices edging up higher.

After a brief dip last month, iron ore prices have resumed their upward trajectory as the war in the Middle East escalates. Elevated costs have established a new pricing norm, keeping iron ore prices firm even as current levels exceed what supply‑demand balance would justify. Meanwhile, Simandou is finally gaining momentum after a slow start. Quality remains the decisive factor for steelmakers sourcing from the seaborne market, reshaping trade flows.

inancially burdened Baffinland Iron Mines is applying for shelter from creditors under Canada’s Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA).

This item was first published by CRU. To learn about CRU’s global commodities research and analysis services, visit www.crugroup.com. The uptrend in sheet prices is expected to continue in the coming month in most markets amid elevated energy and freight costs stemming from the Middle East conflict. Europe will buck the trend as demand in the […]

Multiple risks continue to cloud the automotive outlook, including semiconductor shortages, tariff uncertainty, weaker demand, policy changes, geopolitical disruption, the war in Iran, supply-chain shocks, protectionism, cost pressures, and intensifying competition.

CRU: 62% Fe iron ore prices remained rangebound in April following the surge in the first half of March.

Over the past few years, the slab market has changed significantly – Iran filled the position previously occupied by Ukraine before the war, Brazilian merchant slab supply fell, and the introduction of CBAM drew more interest into slab imports to the EU. 

Conditions in the US market remain tight as domestic demand is holding up with support from border wall projects and data center investments. The supply side has struggled to keep pace with weak import volumes, impacting the market. 

The Middle East conflict continues to be the principal factor in rising prices, as its impact is now being felt throughout the supply chain. Coated sheet prices have borne the larger brunt of the impact. This is despite...

APAC steel prices are expected to rise due to high energy and freight costs stemming from the Middle East conflict. Imports will remain subdued in the EU due to rising freight rates but are expected to pick up marginally in the USA.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has led to higher and more volatile energy prices, and impacts on numerous other commodity markets – in particular fertilizers and aluminum. If disruption to Middle Eastern supply continues, this will have a serious negative impact on the global economy.

Chinese steel export prices and Turkish longs export prices increased this week due to higher energy and raw material costs. In India, HR coil exports remained paused amid the Middle East crisis.

This CRU insight demonstrates how the conflict in Middle East supports metallurgical coal prices and iron ore will be impacted by a potential decline in demand from China and rising costs, while the pellet market will be severely disrupted.

The main impact on the ferrous value chain from the Middle East conflict will be the higher energy costs in a prolonged scenario.

Crude-oil and natural-gas prices spiked, metals opened higher and some fertilizer benchmarks climbed after the US and Israel launched a “pre-emptive” strike on Iran, killing the supreme leader and plunging the region into chaos.

Entering 2026, tin has led a frenzied base metal rally during a historic phase for commodities. Frothy market conditions, driven by volatile investor positioning and shifting macro risk sentiment, pushed several metals—including tin—to record highs in January, before a sharp correction in February.

CRU: US Midwest sheet prices have continued to rise from our mid-January assessment.

US rebar and wire rod prices rose month on month (m/m) alongside continued scrap increases, while merchant bar and structurals were unchanged.

This news item was first published by CRU. To learn about CRU’s global commodities research and analysis services, visit www.crugroup.com. Canada’s Algoma Steel signed a binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hanwha Ocean to support Canada’s submarine program and Algoma’s diversification strategy. A new structural steel beam mill may result. Financial support, subject to conditions being […]

Lower finished steel imports continued to support US domestic prices this month. HR coil prices are up more than $40 per metric ton (mt) month-on-month (m/m) due to higher seasonal demand in January and tightening domestic supply.

Sheet prices are set to stay weak in China, hold steady in India, while they are set to rise in the EU and US due to protectionist limits on imports.

This CRU Insight provides details on the decline of Venezuela’s steel, DRI, and iron ore industries, which highlights the potential scope of recovery with the right policy agenda and support.

US Midwest sheet prices continued to rise alongside continued mill prices increases as lead times remained extended.

Rocky Mountain Steel Mills has begun hot commissioning a universal rail mill at its mini-mill in Pueblo, Colo.

US longs prices diverged in early December, with rebar and structurals prices rising on data center demand while wire rod remained flat, as domestic mills balanced the market. Import volumes, in November, declined sharply across all longs.

Members of Mexico’s lower house have approved a plan to impose levies of between 5% and 50% on imports of 1,463 categories of goods from countries lacking a trade agreement with Mexico.