Editor Vera Blei looks at the main news covered by Steel First over the past week.

Billet prices have dropped over the past week in most regional markets, in tandem with softening ferrous scrap prices and weaker steel demand in China.

Changes in tax rebates for chromium-containing alloyed steel exports would be more important than the recently-announced cuts in export duties for boron-containing steel, traders in Asia told Metal Bulletin this week.

Metal Bulletin’s daily index for Northern Europe-origin HMS 1&2 (80:20) delivered to Turkey dropped day-on-day by $6.89 on Wednesday September 24 on a deal clinched at a lower price.

Man of Steel is the nom de plume of an experienced steel trader, who will be writing a column for Metal Bulletin on a regular basis. Do you agree with him? Email editorial@metalbulletin.com Trading company ceos around the world are worried as they consider their activities and the outlook as they prepare their second-quarter (or second-half) results.

Krakatau Steel, Indonesia’s biggest steelmaker, has posted an operating loss of $70.44 million for the whole of 2014 on the back of lower steel prices and shipments, as well as the depreciation in the rupiah.

Billet producers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have become more active in export markets this year amid a slowdown of construction activity in the region, Fastmarkets has learnt.

With port stocks high and prices tumbling, the iron ore market could be in for a turbulent time as China's economy slows down ahead of the winter.

Metal Bulletin reviews some of the key news and price moves from the past week in the global steel market.

Steel First sister company AMM has adjusted the publishing schedule for its merchant bar, reinforcing bar, special bar quality and wire rod price assessments with effect from Friday May 1.