What factors are driving the significant downturn in US housing starts, accompanied by a decrease in building permits?

Discover how the US-Japan trade deal is reshaping the auto and steel industries, with insights on tariffs, production shifts, and market competition

Fastmarkets’ SBQ price assessments and monthly forecast provide much-needed clarity and a benchmark for buyers in the steel industry to use for planning and negotiation.

Global mining major Rio Tinto has sharpened its focus on lithium, betting not just on traditional hard rock or brine evaporation but on an emerging technology that could reshape the industry - direct lithium extraction (DLE)

The automotive industry's embrace of the pioneering steelmaking technology of tailored welded blanks to make hot stamped door rings has reached a break-out point with annual output volumes expected to double over the next five years

The global iron ore market, a pivotal component of the steelmaking industry, has historically been driven by simple supply and demand dynamics. However, steel trade tariffs, trade wars and a growing trend toward resource nationalism are reshaping this once-basic industrial staple. These forces, alongside rising environmental regulations and shifting trade patterns, are profoundly influencing iron ore pricing, production and consumption trends. 

Fastmarkets’ 2025 outlook for key raw materials and ingredients used in the production and distribution of fast-moving consumer goods.

Mexico’s strategic role in automotive nearshoring is fueling demand for recycled aluminium, with investment in scrap-intensive sectors boosting its non-ferrous secondary markets. Despite tariff uncertainties, USMCA compliance and EV production growth continue to attract global manufacturers.

President Trump's endorsement of the $14 billion US Steel and Nippon Steel partnership sparks hopes for innovation and economic growth in manufacturing, but labor unions raise concerns about job security and workplace conditions, leaving stakeholders eager to see how it unfolds.

Read Fastmarkets' monthly battery raw materials market update for May 2025, focusing on raw materials including lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite and more