Supply chains spotlight

Trump’s tariffs on Canadian and Mexican metals have introduced significant instability to the U.S. metals sector. The 25% tariffs, coupled with retaliatory measures from Canada and Mexico, have fuelled price volatility, supply chain disruptions, and operational uncertainty across multiple industries. These trade policies are reshaping global market dynamics as stakeholders brace for long-term impacts on steel, aluminium, copper, and other metal commodities.

Iron ore markets face major shifts as an oversupply looms in 2025, driven by weak demand from Chinese steel mills and changing pricing trends. Key players like Vale and Rio Tinto are tackling challenges such as fluctuating shipments, blending practices in China, and a competitive global market.

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.

Reducing reliance on China’s hugely successful critical minerals supply chain dominance was never going to be easy, as some western mining companies are finding out the hard way.

European imports of pipeline natural gas from Russia via Ukraine have ended, putting the region’s metals smelters and refineries on alert for potential hikes in operational costs.

China’s tightened export controls on gallium and germanium formalize existing restrictions, heightening supply concerns amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.