Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure have severely disrupted grain trading, with shipowners increasingly refusing to call at the country's terminals and market participants warning of mounting logistical challenges, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 15.

US animal fats and oils markets opened the week on a quiet note on Monday July 13, with stronger energy and vegetable oil futures doing little to revive spot trading as buyers remained comfortably covered and unwilling to chase higher prices.

European automotive OEMs are entering a more complex phase of the EV transition. BEV adoption is rebounding across key markets, but demand remains uneven, margins are under pressure and the cost base behind EV production is becoming harder to manage.

Chinese zinc smelters expressed concerns of possible production cuts amid fierce competition for concentrates raw materials, as treatment charges (TCs) have dropped to historic lows at the end of May, though byproduct gains from sulfuric acid have still lent strong support to smelters’ margins, sources told Fastmarkets.

European automotive procurement faces growing complexity due to regional cost volatility and policy-driven supply chains reshaping material pricing and sourcing strategies. This demands granular, region-specific market intelligence for precise cost modeling and strategic decision-making.

An interview with Assistant Secretary, Michael Cadenazzi at the Department of War, as it is known, and Zach Boykin, the department's technical director for strategic and critical minerals with Andrea Hotter for the Fast Forward podcast.

In this short episode of Fast Forward, Alex Kershaw, senior analyst for steel, raw materials and ferrous scrap at Fastmarkets, unpacks the recent volatility in global scrap steel markets and what is driving price movements across key regions.

Price Reporting Agencies (PRAs) like Fastmarkets are helping more F&B companies manage packaging and ingredient costs by providing a unified, comprehensive view of their true cost drivers. Find out how.

North American automotive OEMs are navigating one of the toughest cost pressures today: raw material volatility. As supply chains become more localized through USMCA, the IRA, and reshoring, manufacturers continue to face rising material price risks.

European automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers are facing a period of unprecedented market uncertainty.