IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from August 23

Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday August 23 that are worth another look.

Increasing costs for long-term storage at the Chinese port of Tiajnin have added to the financial burdens facing alloy smelters and trading houses this year.

Tianyuan Manganese Industry Group (TMI), said to be the world’s largest producer of manganese flake, has not halted production, it told Fastmarkets, dispelling a recent rumor that has helped to drive manganese prices to new heights worldwide.

Alumina prices climbed on August 23 to their highest since February 1 last year, after trading sideways for most of this month.

Turkish domestic scrap prices have continued to weaken over the past week in line with falling imported scrap values, market participants told Fastmarkets on August 23.

The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) will maintain existing duties on imports of some seamless carbon and alloy steel standard, line and pressure pipe from China, the agency said on Thursday August 19.

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China’s emergence over the past two decades has reshaped global trade. What began as rapid export-led expansion in the early 2000s has evolved into a far more strategic model: one centered on control of intermediate goods, deep integration into global supply chains, and the creation of structural dependencies across industries and regions, according to Mexico’s former ambassador to China, Jorge Guajardo.
The US has stepped up calls for its allies to accept higher costs for sourcing critical minerals outside China, arguing that supply chain security must take precedence over price efficiency – a stance that is reshaping expectations across metals markets but has yet to translate into durable pricing support.
Fastmarkets has corrected its EN-BD-0032 Renewable diesel, del Los Angeles, $/gal assessment that was published incorrectly on Friday April 17 due to a reporter error.
Fastmarkets has corrected the price for MB-STE-0524 Steel scrap No1 busheling, consumer buying price, delivered mill Chicago, $/gross ton, weekly composite, which was published incorrectly on April 10 and April 17 at $449 per gross ton due to a procedural error. It has been corrected to $450 per gross ton.
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.
US steelmakers faced a “robust opportunity” in the data center construction boom, driven by rapid implementation of artificial intelligence software, according to Barry Zekelamn, executive chairman and chief executive officer of Zekelman Industries.