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 decarbonization of the steel industry has been widely discussed in Europe over the past few years. But much of the focus has been on blast furnace–basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) based mills, given their higher carbon intensity.

Leading European steelmaker ArcelorMittal has scrapped a planned EAF-DRI project in Germany due to the poor economic environment and a “lack of economic viability,” the company said on June 19.

Downward pressure on global steel prices, caused by continued high levels of Chinese steel production at prices below costs, creates incentives than can lead to a rebalancing of global supply and demand and a boost to profitability, World Steel Dynamics chief executive officer Philipp Englin said at the Global Steel Dynamics Forum in New York on Wednesday June 18.

Japanese steel major Nippon Steel is aiming to hit its 2050 goal of carbon neutrality by focusing on hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI) to make a breakthrough in green steel production, the company said on Friday May 30.

The European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism will be implemented in seven months’ time but the region’s steel industry was still not fully prepared for the gradual changes the system will involve, Fastmarkets heard on Thursday May 8 at the Made in Steel trade fair in Milan, Italy.

The global steel industry’s move to decarbonize and China’s penchant for lower-grade ores in recent years have uncovered challenges for high-grade iron ore to live out its value in both the blast furnace-based steelmaking route and the direct-reduction iron process, delegates told Fastmarkets during the Singapore International Ferrous Week (SIFW), which takes place from May 26-30.

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. 

The playing field for global iron ore brands could be poised to be leveled, given a recent announcement on lower iron content in a key mainstream Australian direct shipping ore, iron ore market participants told Fastmarkets, adding that the development could narrow the price disparities between major Australian mid-grade iron ore brands.

This strategic launch is intended to offer the market a single reference price denoting the differential between US Midwest rebar and heavy melting-grade scrap, a key component in the production of that grade. Details of the previous launches can be found via this link. The methodology specification for this differential is: MB-STE-0930 Steel reinforcing bar […]