IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from April 1

Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday April 1 that are worth another look.

Spain’s Ministry of Industry, Trade & Tourism has finally confirmed the steel industry is considered “essential” and can continue operating, albeit at a slower pace, the Spanish steel distributors association, UAHE, said on April 1.

Arconic Inc has completed its separation into two standalone companies, with one focused on aerospace and transportation, and the other on aluminium sheet, extruded and architectural products.

Trading interest for bonded copper returned in March – especially in the latter half – capping the rise in copper inventories in Shanghai-bonded warehouses in the month to March 31, while nickel registered a stock decline on intermittent arbitrage opportunities.

Fastmarkets reviews the latest developments in South African ores and alloys supply following the lockdown order from President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday March 23 amid the spread of Covid-19.

China will extend the new energy vehicle (NEV) purchase subsidy and purchase tax exemption policy for two years in an effort to support consumption and mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy.

What to read next
Africa’s first transcontinental rail network, known as the Lobito Corridor, which aims to eventually connect almost the entire regional copper-cobalt belt with additional links across sub-Saharan Africa, is on track to break ground early in 2026, a senior official at the US Department of State told Fastmarkets.
The availability of relatively untapped resources, a huge influx of Chinese investment and a rapid licensing system have helped the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to become one of the world’s three key producers of copper.
The European steel and aluminium scrap industries urged the European Commission on Wednesday January 15 against taking action to curb scrap exports after domestic industry metals producers backed measures to do just that.
Renewed US-China trade tensions with Donald Trump’s second presidential term could bolster Southeast Asia’s aluminium scrap industry in 2025, particularly amid still-growing Chinese demand, sources told Fastmarkets by Tuesday, January 14.
European steel and aluminium producers have urged the European Commission to take immediate and effective action to tackle "scrap leakage" so that the European Union can meet its sustainable development aims and secure industrial competitiveness.
There has been a freefall in copper concentrates treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) this year amid tighter supply in the market. In 2025, supply tightness is projected to keep copper concentrates TC/RCs low on average for the whole year, sources told Fastmarkets.