Decarbonization has become the defining theme for heavy industry. With the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) now in force and mounting pressure to curb emissions, hard-to-abate sectors such as steel are being pushed to adapt to a lower-carbon economy.

Growing uncertainty over Guinea’s bauxite export policy, alongside severe disruption to alumina supply chains caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, emerged as key themes at the Fastmarkets Bauxite & Alumina Conference in Miami on March 24-25, with delegates warning of heightened price volatility and shifting trade flows.

The global tungsten market in 2026 is marked by extreme volatility driven by geopolitical tensions, trade disputes, and resource nationalism, especially between China and the US. These dynamics have caused significant supply disruptions and price surges across tungsten products.

In the past year, trade policy has and continues to fuel change and dynamics in the North American steel market. Meanwhile, inflation has remained at or above 2.7% while the Fed Fund rate hovers around 2.64. The consumer continues to bear a growing burden to keep the economy from stalling, as finished goods markets search for their own nadir, stability and potential growth paths.

The recent wave of anti-dumping measures approved in Brazil has been met with some concern in China — the country most affected by the Brazilian government’s decisions in this case — but despite the negative impact, Chinese participants see the moves as just another phase of doing business.

The Canadian government’s recent efforts to curb unfair steel imports and protectionist measures for its domestic steel industry are “not enough,” and Canada needs to do “exactly what the US is doing,” the executive chairman and chief executive officer of Zekelman Industries, Barry Zekelman, told Fastmarkets in an exclusive interview on Wednesday February 11.

Discover how fear, deglobalization and AI are transforming the copper market. Insights from the Fast Forward podcast's interview with David Lilley of Drakewood Capital.

The US and Canadian steel industries are “aligned” in trade policies, and the imposition of Section 232 tariffs against Canada is “unjustified,” Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) vice president for trade and industry affairs Francois Desmarais told Fastmarkets in an exclusive interview on Friday February 6.

When President Trump took office for a second time just over a year ago, he immediately sought to tear up the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a key piece of Joe Biden’s legacy. But plans announced earlier this week, ending on Friday February 6, have reshaped the future for cobalt and critical minerals.

Malaysia implemented an absolute ban on imports of electronic waste (e-waste) to take immediate effect on Wednesday February 4, in an attempt to tighten environmental controls and curb illegal shipments, Fastmarkets understands.