Trump’s first 100 days in his second term have reignited debates over the impact of tariffs on the US steel industry. While the administration claims tariffs protect American jobs and boost the economy, experts point to rising costs and uncertainties affecting businesses. From higher steel prices to strained trade relations, the effects are already being felt, leaving many questioning the future of US steel and related markets.

China's shipbuilding sector remains strong despite proposed US tariffs, leading the industry for the 15th consecutive year in 2024 with 55.7% of global completions and 74.1% of new orders. Chinese shipyards benefit from low labor costs, efficient supply chains and competitive steel prices, offering vessels at significantly lower costs than US equivalents. High demand for materials and next-gen vessels further reinforces China's dominance in global shipbuilding.

Fastmarkets proposes to change the name and base specifications of its index for iron ore 62% Fe fines cfr Qingdao to more closely align with the specifications of prevailing mid-grade fines in the CFR China market. Following an initial consultation with the market, and a review of the typical data sets that have been collected […]

Fastmarkets invited feedback from the industry on the pricing methodology for iron ore indices, via an open consultation process between March 10 to April 7 2025.This consultation was done as part of our published annual methodology review process. A full list of all the prices covered can be found in the original consultation. Fastmarkets received feedback […]

This article examines stainless steel price trends and forecasts for 2025, breaking them down by region to provide clarity for industry professionals, investors, and market analysts.

The publication of Fastmarkets’ Turkish steel scrap import indices was delayed on Wednesday April 2 because of a technical fault. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated. The following prices were affected: MB-STE-0416 Steel scrap HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix) North Europe origin, cfr Turkey, $/tonne MB-STE-0417 Steel scrap HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix) US origin, cfr Turkey, […]

The publication of Fastmarkets’ iron ore DR-grade pellet premium, quarterly contract was delayed due to a reporter’s error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated. The MB-IRO-0077 Iron ore DR-grade pellet premium, quarterly contract was published on Wednesday April 2 – the second working day of the quarter, while usually it is published on the first […]

In the second of a two-part series, Fastmarkets looks at opportunities for the Asia ferro-alloys sector that could result from US-China trade tensions or against a backdrop of greater trade protection, ahead of the Asia Ferroalloys 2025 Conference

This consultation, which is open until April 28, 2025, seeks to ensure that our methodologies continue to reflect the physical market, in compliance with the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) principles for Price Reporting Agencies (PRAs). This includes all elements of our pricing process, our price specifications and publication frequency. You can find the […]

Fastmarkets has corrected its MB-IRO-0188 - Iron ore 67.5% Fe pellet feed cfr Qingdao and MB-IRO-0013 - Iron ore 65% Fe concentrate cfr Qingdao indices, which were published incorrectly on Wednesday March 19 due to a technical calculation error.