Tariff concerns and opaque import regulations dominated discussions among aluminium and copper scrap market participants at the 2025 ASEAN Recycling Metals International Conference held in Thailand on June 18-20.

My last Viewpoint at the end of February provided some thoughts on the outlook for Asian paper and board markets in 2025, and it highlighted three areas of concern that could hold back growth: the trade war, China's sluggish economy and inflation. Fast forward four months and a lot has happened, especially related to the trade war. In this Viewpoint, I provide my latest thoughts on developments in these three areas and then drill down specifically on the containerboard market and look at what has happened and where things are going.

Explore the impact of the trade war on the Chinese paper market with insights into April's data and economic signals.

The rationale for AG-PLM-0017 crude palm oil, Indonesia PTPN tender had erroneously stated 1,000 tonnes traded, 5,000 tonnes offered. This has been been corrected to 1,500 tonnes traded, 5,000 tonnes offered. The published price is unaffected by this change. These prices are part of the Fastmarkets Ags Oils, Fats and Biofuels package. For more information or to provide […]

Fastmarkets invited feedback from the industry on the pricing methodology for Asia recovered paper and Asia packaging paper and board, via an open consultation process between April 17 and May 18, 2025. This consultation was done as part of our published annual methodology review process.

The publication of Fastmarkets’ molybdenum drummed molybdic oxide – in-whs Busan, MB-FEO-0004, and in-whs Rotterdam, MB-FEO-0003 – and ferro-molybdenum 65% Mo min, in-whs Rotterdam, MB-FEO-0001, price assessments were delayed because of slow data processing on Friday May 23. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated. The publication of these prices was delayed for 12 minutes. The […]

This price assessment aims to enhance transparency in the Indonesian coke market. Fastmarkets has observed a significant volume of Indonesian coke entering the global market in recent months, establishing Indonesia as a key exporter of coke worldwide since 2023. In the first seven months of 2024, Poland, China and Indonesia were the top three coke exporters globally.  […]

The publication of the following price was delayed for 10 minutes: MB-ALU-0002 Alumina index, fob Australia, $/tonne This price is a part of the Fastmarkets Base Metals package. For more information or to provide feedback on the delayed publication of this price or if you would like to provide price information by becoming a data submitter […]

Fastmarkets proposes to amend the frequency of Taiwan base metals prices from biweekly to monthly, and the delivery timing for the tin 99.99% ingot premium from two weeks to four weeks.

The rationales have been updated to include the following information: Owing to a UK public holiday on May 5, the Lithium carbonate cif China, Japan & Korea price and Lithium hydroxide cif China, Japan & Korea price will next be published on May 6. This is in accordance with Fastmarkets’ pricing schedule. These prices are part […]