European paper and board producers warn of growing trade pressures as imports rise and competitiveness weakens.

Brazilian plywood exports to the United States have accelerated as importers seek to avoid proposed new tariffs, despite ongoing uncertainty and market volatility.

Fastmarkets has calculated its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) Certificate Index at a price only slightly below the official average price for the first quarter of this year, when the regime was brought into operation.

As Mexico seeks to strengthen domestic manufacturing supply chains and reduce its reliance on imported steel products, special bar quality (SBQ) steel has emerged as one of the segments offering the greatest growth potential for local producers, according to TYASA’s three chief executive officers, whom Fastmarkets sat down with in an exclusive interview to discuss the company’s new SBQ rolling mill.

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.

The Trump administration has concluded its investigation against Brazil under Section 301, with the country’s Trade Representative Jamieson Greer proposing a 25% tariff on the South American country’s imports but putting forth a list of exempted items.

The newly signed Mexico-EU (EU) trade deal could signal a shift in steel trade toward the EU, but Mexican steelmakers will still prefer trade within North America, a steel producer told Fastmarkets.

Front-loading cleared roughly €820 million in CBAM liabilities before the definitive phase began. The pattern is unlikely to be a one-off as free allowances step down toward zero in 2034.

The European Commission's draft CBAM carbon price legislation, published May 13, sets out how carbon costs paid abroad will count toward EU import obligations. It also caps Article 6 credit usage at 10% of emissions and applies retrospectively from January 2026.

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.