Tag: raw materials

Freight rates have remained high in the US and Northern Europe, and there has been little or no activity in the Mediterranean region since our last export update on March 10.

SA Recycling's CEO George Adams couldn't be more upbeat about American industry.

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.

Market participant comments from this month's SMU Ferrous Scrap Survey.

The US domestic ferrous scrap buying for March shipment is wrapping up this week, with many sources reporting a sideways outcome.

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.

I grew up in Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais in southeastern Brazil, surrounded by the Serra do Curral mountains, and a culture steeped in mining and vast iron ore reserves.

The US scrap market is looking to emerge from a bad winter that has affected both inbound and outbound flows of material since December.

SunCoke Energy is heading into 2026 with a smaller coke footprint, firmer margins, and a fully sold-out book. Contract shifts, market softness, and an alleged breach by a major customer are reshaping the company’s supply position.

Strategic Resources also discussed its project in Quebec, which will include a 4-million-ton/year DRI-quality iron ore pelletizer. It also plans to build a plant to produce DRI, then convert it to pig iron in an EAF.

GrafTech International closed 2025 with firmer sales volumes and significant cost reductions. But the graphite electrode producer remained deep in the red as global oversupply and aggressive competitor pricing continued to pressure realized prices.

The export market from the US and Canada has held firm, while slightly strengthening ahead of the domestic buying for February shipment.

All but one of the steelmaking raw materials we track increased in price over the last month

The Italian authorities have seized a Russian cargo of hot-briquetted-iron (HBI) for violating European sanctions on Russian ferrous imports, according to media reports.

The imported basic pig iron market has shown upward price movement over the last week.

The price of pig iron looks to strengthen as producing nations cite rising ferrous scrap values.

A steelmaker in the Southeast has entered the market for shredded, P&S, and HMS at prices of $20/gt over November.

The situation has altered in the Brazilian pig iron market since our last update on Nov. 13. At the time, we reported things were at a standstill for sales to US-based steelmakers.

The pig iron market is at a standstill since the last sale to the US several weeks ago.

SunCoke Energy’s earnings declined in the third quarter as weaker domestic coke sales and contract economics weighed on results.

The pig iron market in Brazil saw some activity last week that could present some additional options to producers there, but at lower price levels.

CRU analysts break down their top takeaways from CRU's 31st Annual Ferroalloys Connections Summit, held Oct. 19-21 in Miami.

NEMO Industries CEO talks cost and reasoning behind a $3-billion pig iron project in Louisiana.

Cleveland-Cliffs is positioning itself as a key player in America’s push for industrial independence.

NEMO Industries has announced a venture to build a pig iron plant in Louisiana. The plant will use advanced technologies, including integrating AI.

A compromise has been reached in the pig iron market, sources told SMU. Recall we reported US buyers were bidding $390 per metric ton (mt) FOB or less while sellers were holding sideways at about $400/mt.

For the next month, CRU forecasts that global demand for steelmaking raw materials will increase month on month (m/m).

The pig iron market in Brazil is currently in flux and there have been few, if any, confirmed cargoes transacted for the US.

Here are highlights of what’s happened this past week and a few upcoming things to keep an eye on. 

The Brazilian-US pig iron market has remained quiet, market sources told SMU.