Sinking product prices across the copper value chain are eroding processing margins for custom copper smelters, causing uncertainty as well as driving investments and consolidation in the industry.

The United States' Section 232 tariffs have benefited certain steel producers but mostly negatively impacted others due to disruption to the global supply chain ecosystem, an NLMK USA executive said following the layoff of at least 80 employees at its Pennsylvania facility last week.

Italian steel re-roller Marcegaglia has warned that limiting imports of hot-rolled black stainless steel coil into Europe would “put at risk the viability of our stainless steel business,” chief executive officer Antonio Marcegaglia said in a letter to the EU published late last week.

Troubled UK long steel producer British Steel has reported “encouraging levels of interest” in the sale of the business after a number of bids were made before the June 30 deadline, the company said on July 5.

India’s Ministry of Steel is seeking stakeholder feedback by July 14 on a draft steel scrap policy that aims to reduce the country's reliance on imports by establishing a network of recycling centers to collect and process ferrous scrap.