Russia’s output of steel products, local demand and export sales all dropped in 2022 due to trading sanctions imposed after its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 - but the reductions were smaller than the markets expected

One year since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Fastmarkets’ roundup of the key challenges facing the European steel plate market arising from the consequent war

The fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is changing global trade flows for bauxite, with Brazilian material once again flowing into China and with the introduction of export restrictions elsewhere likely to influence availability through 2023

Given the sharp price increases recorded by several major seaborne steel scrap markets at the start of this new year, it can be easy to forget the host of structural issues still bubbling under the surface of the trade

Growing uncertainty about end-user demand and input costs through 2022 has driven a change in consumer habits in Europe’s aluminium and steel markets, with traders foreseeing a continuation of hand-to-mouth buying going into 2023

Alcoa has been lobbying the US government to sanction Russian aluminium, the major global and leading US aluminium producer said at a conference in New York on Wednesday November 16

The United States Department of Commerce revoked Russia’s market economy status on Thursday, November 10, which is likely to lead to higher duties on aluminium imported from Russia and could potentially boost US aluminium premiums, sources told Fastmarkets

Aluminium premiums in Europe and Japan continued to move lower in the week to Tuesday November 8, under pressure from weak consumer demand, while premiums in the United States bucked the downtrend for a second week despite uncertainty over the midterm elections there

Imports of Russian steel into the United States have dropped precipitously this year, negating the need for a formal ban similar to the one reportedly being considered for aluminium

The benchmark US Midwest aluminium premium was steady on Friday, October 28 for the first time since the beginning of September, prompting some sources to say the premium has reached a bottom