IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from July 25

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday July 25 that are worth another look.

The United States’ non-ferrous scrap export market was mixed through May, with year-to-date shipments of aluminium scrap rising while those of copper scrap fell versus the same period last year.

Even after US President Donald Trump reduced the Section 232 tariff applied to US imports of Turkish steel back to 25%, rebar shipments from that country are unlikely to make a splash in the US market, given declining domestic prices and ongoing geopolitical tensions, Fastmarkets understands.

Protests against the building of Southern Peru Copper Corp’s Tia Maria project are having a knock-on adverse effect on other copper miners in the region, which generates 9% of the world’s mined copper.

Eramet produced record half-year volumes of manganese ore and alloy in the first six months of 2019, the mining and metallurgical group said on Thursday July 25, adding that it was negatively affected by lower prices for manganese and nickel.

The London Metal Exchange has launched a consultation process on warehousing reforms that aims to attract higher stock levels, Matthew Chamberlain, the exchange’s chief executive officer, announced on July 25.

What to read next
The US aluminium industry is experiencing challenges related to tariffs, which have contributed to higher prices and premiums, raising questions about potential impacts on demand. Alcoa's CEO has noted that sustained high prices could affect the domestic market. While trade agreements might provide some relief, analysts expect premiums to remain elevated in the near term. However, aluminum demand is projected to grow over the long term, supported by the energy transition and clean energy projects. To meet this demand, the industry will need to increase production, restart idle smelters and address factors such as electricity costs and global competition.
Read Fastmarkets' monthly base metals market for May 2025 focusing on raw materials including copper, nickel aluminium, lead, zinc and tin.
The Mexico Metals Outlook 2025 conference explored challenges and opportunities in the steel, aluminum and scrap markets, focusing on tariffs, nearshoring, capacity growth and global trends.
China has launched a coordinated crackdown on the illegal export of strategic minerals under export control, such as antimony, gallium, germanium, tungsten and rare earths, the country’s Ministry of Commerce announced on Friday May 9.
Fastmarkets proposes to amend the frequency of Taiwan base metals prices from biweekly to monthly, and the delivery timing for the tin 99.99% ingot premium from two weeks to four weeks.
The US-China trade truce announced on May 12 has brought cautious optimism to China’s non-ferrous metals markets, signaling a possible shift in global trade. Starting May 14, the removal of additional tariffs has impacted sectors like battery raw materials, minor metals and base metals such as zinc and nickel, with mixed reactions. While the improved sentiment has lifted futures prices and trade activity, the long-term effects remain unclear due to challenges like supply-demand pressures and export controls.