Tag: china

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

I attended the SAFE Summit in Washington, D.C., earlier this week. It was an out-of-this world event – and I mean that quite literally. There were serious discussions around building data centers in space.

A broad coalition of steel groups have written a letter urging the US government not to allow China access to the domestic auto market.

With global capacity projected to increase by 138 million mt by 2028, the gap between capacity and demand will continue to grow over the next three years. And that assumes the conflict in Iran does not stifle global demand.

Rising global capital and power costs, driven by China's production cap and higher-cost expansion in Indonesia, are resetting aluminum's incentive price, making higher LME levels necessary to unlock new primary capacity outside China.

Last week, the government of China reported a trade balance of $1.12 trillion in 2025, the largest merchandise trade surplus in history. And this surplus was despite massive tariffs imposed by the United States and other countries, partly in an effort to rein in China’s trade juggernaut.

The volume of steel shipped outside of the country increased 11% from September to October 2025 to a seven-month high of 662,000 short tons (st), according to recently released data from the US Department of Commerce.

As we move into 2026, it’s time to look forward. While the “Donroe Doctrine,” Venezuela, and Greenland absorb significant press attention, important trade developments will also continue to make headlines this year. The unprecedented changes we saw in 2025 will continue in 2026, particularly in the areas of IEEPA and tariffs, USMCA, and the WTO.

The total amount of raw steel produced around the world slipped 3% from October to an estimated 140.1 million metric tons (mt) in November, according to World Steel Association (worldsteel) data. This marks the lowest monthly production rate since December 2023.

Following August’s modest 4% uptick, the volume of steel shipped outside of the country slipped 8% in September to 594,000 short tons, according to recently released data from the US Department of Commerce.

Following four consecutive monthly declines, world crude steel output recovered 1% from September to October to an estimated 143.3 million metric tons (mt), according to the World Steel Association (worldsteel).

The downward trend in Chinese steel export prices continued over the past month, as domestic demand in the country failed to recover following the Golden Week holidays.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday had a much-anticipated meeting. Is it only a hiatus in the trade war, or did it really change the situation? I suspect the former, I but hope for the latter.

It was only a matter of time before a shutdown happened. And, no, we aren’t talking about the federal government’s lapse in appropriations. On Oct. 9, Beijing announced a series of restrictions that will effectively shut down exports of rare earth elements, magnets, and certain downstream products vital to advanced manufacturing.

World crude steel output declined for the fourth-consecutive month in September, slipping 3% from August to an estimated 141.8 million metric tons (mt), according to the latest figures from the World Steel Association (worldsteel).

On Oct.10, President Trump announced major increases in tariffs on Chinese goods. The trigger was a new regime of export controls on rare earth metals and products using those elements, including magnets, capital equipment, and catalysts for catalytic converters in cars and trucks.

The boom in China’s direct steel exports has not stopped this year, even with a rise in protectionist measures globally. The increase is driven by...

August marked the second-lowest monthly production rate this year, down 13% from the two-year high of 166.6 million mt in March.

World crude steel output declined for a second straight month in July, falling 2% from June to an estimated 150.1 million metric tons (mt), according to recent data published by the World Steel Association (worldsteel).

China has requested dispute consultations with Canada at the WTO about Canadian measures on Chinese steel and aluminum imports.

US President Donald Trump extended the US and China’s 90-day pause on planned reciprocal tariffs on Monday.

The total volume of raw steel produced around the globe fell by 5% from May to June, according to recent data published by the World Steel Association (worldsteel).

The Chinese government has threatened countermeasures on Canada following the Canadian government's announcement on curbing steel imports, according to media reports.

The forceful headwinds bearing down on steel markets across the globe have created demand challenges and sent prices southward. The US, however, challenged the global trend.  

Global raw steel production dipped from March to April, according to the latest release from the World Steel Association.

International trade remains at the forefront of President Trump’s agenda, especially as new negotiations and investigations continue to be announced.

Baosteel exec comments on market rumors of 50 million tons of output being cut this year, less than 0.5% of the 1 billion tons-plus China has produced annually in recent years.

Containers sailing from China in April are down 15%-20% and Hapag Lloyd says their future bookings transpacific are down 30%.

President Trump cast a wide net with the proposed, reciprocal tariffs. The negotiating stage will be critical to determining the success of his strategy. And for those suffering tariff whiplash, don’t expect the pace of change to slow down just because the reciprocal tariffs are entering a negotiating phase.

Chinese export prices for longs were almost steady this week, while those for flats generally declined as producers cut prices to secure deals.