Read a snippet of the monthly paper packaging monitor, analyzing key trends in the North American paper packaging demand, production, shipments, inventories, capacity, operating rates and trade.

There are more signs emerging of the green steel evolution in Asia, even as steelmakers seek to differentiate themselves with green certifications to edge ahead of competitors, market sources have told Fastmarkets.

Fastmarkets is launching a green long steel differential to its weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar) import, cfr Singapore, as well as a weekly inferred green steel base price for rebar cfr Singapore.

European steelmakers are committed to the decarbonization of the industry and are shifting to more environmentally friendly ways of working, despite the recent economic downturn making it more challenging to charge a premium for “green” steel, sources told Fastmarkets.

Three factors that shaped the first half of 2024 for European paper packaging markets – and our outlook for the second half

China is working ways to boost the national carbon trading market liquidity by including more industrial firms from the steel, cement and electrolytic aluminum sectors to participate, as well as restarting the voluntary greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction trading, sources told Fastmarkets.

“Demand is weaker than expected. If they are taking unplanned downtime, they face a new situation, customers are not taking as much volume [as estimated],” one buyer said.

The Chilean Ministry of Economy released a strengthening plan to reverse — in the short and medium term — the reduction in jobs and the decline in industrial infrastructure and steel production due to the closure of the country's largest steel mill, Compañía Siderúrgica Huachipato, which officially ceased operations on Monday September 16.

North American pulp markets saw their first price decreases of the year due to global price erosion, increased inventories, and reduced US spot market prices.

What could the copper landscape look like in ten years? Freeport's Kathleen Quirk shares her insights