Prices for some containerboard produced in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries moved north once again in March. Manufacturers have been pushing prices up throughout the first quarter on the back of limited supply, following logistical difficulties owing to the Red Sea shipping crisis, and improved demand ahead of and during Ramadan. Want to know […]

China’s lithium prices extended loss over the week to Thursday March 28 after a major slump in the futures market on Monday March 25, while consumers continued to restock on a hand-to-mouth basis, sources told Fastmarkets

A bullish consensus formed last week in Shanghai as leading market participants met for the annual CPICC conference and Shanghai Pulp Week. Meetings were held against the backdrop of growing concerns around market pulp and woodchip supply, while questions remained around the strength of underlying demand. Heading into the week, the rally in pulp prices […]

The March 2024 monthly averages were published today based on the index values of March 1, 8, 15 and 22.

Recent developments in China’s pulp and paper industry, notably the divestment of the Anhui Huatai pulp mill, prompted a closer examination of the dynamics of swing pulp lines, particularly the delicate balance between dissolving wood pulp and paper grade wood pulp. The Anhui Huatai pulp mill, which suspended production in the first half of 2023, […]

There are more opportunities being created for the Chinese ferro-alloys industry on the back of China’s focus on sustainable development goals and the rising availability of competitively-priced green electricity, sources told Fastmarkets

The green steel supply chain is gradually starting up in Malaysia, largely due to stricter decarbonization-related government policies, sources said in the week to Monday March 25. One of these policies is a two-year moratorium on all expansion and diversification of manufacturing activities in the iron and steel industry

China’s manufacturing sector is overtaking its construction sector in driving the country’s demand for steel, in a shift that is expected to benefit flat steel products more than long steel ones, an industry expert said at an industry conference on Friday March 22

There is a lot of uncertainty around how disruptive the Red Sea crisis will be on trade flows. Reports suggest that it is adding costs and extending shipping times as major shipping companies opt to sail around the Cape of Good Hope rather than through the Red Sea. In some instances, it appears that for […]

Western governments are increasingly implementing policies to protect their local metal-producing industries from rival products made in the developing world, but how should eastern lawmakers and companies respond to these moves?