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. 

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

The Mexico Metals Outlook 2025 conference explored challenges and opportunities in the steel, aluminum and scrap markets, focusing on tariffs, nearshoring, capacity growth and global trends.

The recent US-China agreement to temporarily reduce tariffs is a major step for global trade, with tariffs on US goods entering China dropping from 125% to 10% and on Chinese goods entering the US decreasing from 145% to 30% starting May 14. While this has boosted markets and created optimism, key industries like autos and steel remain affected, leaving businesses waiting for clearer long-term trade policies.

The US-UK trade deal removes Section 232 tariffs on British steel and aluminium, reduces automotive tariffs and sets a framework for addressing global trade issues.

Ford Motor Company will offset $1 billion of an expected $2.5 billion exposure from tariffs and remains "on track and within our original full-year guidance range of $7 billion-8.5 billion" in operating earnings for 2025, Jim Farley, president and chief executive officer, said during the automaker's first-quarter earnings call on Monday March 5.