With the ferrous scrap industry converging on the Thai capital of Bangkok for the Material Recycling Association of India’s (MRAI) first Southeast Asian business summit on August 21-22, eager eyes are being cast toward the future growth potential of the region’s ferrous scrap markets

Pulp suppliers are cautiously optimistic but weak demand and a volatile futures market continue to bring challenges

Chinese producers instigated price hikes in a bid to stop price declines amid poor packaging demand

Dramatic changes are expected in the Japanese steel industry in the run-up to 2030, with exports of ferrous scrap expected to fall and local use of the material to soar amid the transition away from traditional blast furnace (BF) technology toward greater electric-arc furnace (EAF) capacity

A combination of low generation and depleted stocks drove prices up for US OCC imports

China’s stalling economic recovery resulted in sluggish demand for paper and paper packaging

Buyers opt for cheaper European recovered paper grades over more expensive US grades

The recycled pulp project is one of the many overseas investments by Chinese board producers to secure high-quality recycled fiber supply

China-affiliated producers bought small volumes of US OCC imports but uncertainty still looms over a price rebound

Overcapacity in the pulp market continues to drive prices down, with Arauco announcing more price cuts for multiple grades in June