October 2026
Baosteel raises October hot-rolled coil prices as raw material costs climb
China's Baoshan Iron and Steel (Baosteel) raised its domestic prices for hot-rolled coil by 200 yuan per tonne (about $30/t) for October deliveries, as reported by BigMint via GMK Center.
The move came amid rising prices for coking coal and other raw materials, alongside expectations of a seasonal improvement in demand through the autumn months. Chinese producers are seeking to hold higher selling prices to offset production cost increases.
In Europe, ArcelorMittal raised hot-rolled coil prices by 20 euros per tonne (about $23/t) for November deliveries, citing higher raw material and energy costs.
Sources: GMK Center
October 2026
Indian steel prices touch four-year high on input costs and post-monsoon demand
Domestic Indian steel prices have reached a four-year high, driven by costlier raw materials and a post-monsoon pickup in demand, according to market research firm BigMint via Outlook Business.
Hot-rolled coil and cold-rolled coil are trading at about 64,000 rupees and 75,000 rupees per tonne respectively, levels last seen in June 2022. Since August 1, HRC prices have risen by 6,000 rupees per tonne and CRC by 8,500 rupees per tonne.
Coking coal, largely imported, surged by around $65 per tonne in a single month to $305 per tonne, while iron ore fines rose 200 to 250 rupees per tonne. BigMint expects the firm trend to continue as construction and infrastructure demand, which consume about 60 percent of India's steel, strengthens after the monsoon.
Sources: Outlook Business, Reuters
October 2026
Global crude steel output fell in August as futures climbed
World Steel Association data showed global crude steel production fell 1.2 percent year on year to 144.2 million tonnes in August, with rebar futures climbing to around 3,109 yuan per tonne, a one-week high, as reported by Trading Economics.
Month on month, global output declined 3.3 percent from 149.2 million tonnes in July, with China's 2.3 million-tonne drop accounting for nearly half of the decrease. China remains the world's largest producer at 51.7 percent of global output.
Chinese demand stayed soft on weak property construction, and Chinese markets were closed October 1 to 7 for the National Day holiday.
Sources: Trading Economics
October 2026
Ferrous scrap enters October on firm footing as US mill activity rises
US raw steel production reached 1.845 million net tons in the week ended September 26, with capability utilization at 80.5 percent, supporting ferrous scrap demand heading into October mill buying, per Scrap Monster's weekly market report.
Fastmarkets' October inventory indicator stood at 46.7, below the 50 level associated with average conditions, pointing to somewhat tighter inventories. LME benchmark pricing put Steel Scrap CFR Turkey at $397.50 per metric tonne at the October 1 close.
The OECD estimates global steel excess capacity at about 640 million tonnes in 2025, projected to reach 745 million tonnes by 2028, a medium-term risk for steel pricing and raw-material demand.
Sources: Scrap Monster
September 2026
European Parliament backs extending carbon border tax to downstream steel products
On September 17, 2026, the European Parliament endorsed the European Commission's plan to expand the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism to downstream steel and aluminium products such as fasteners, wire and springs, Energy Market Price reported.
The move broadens CBAM beyond raw materials, closing loopholes and extending its reach to finished goods, with the rapporteur saying the compromise makes the mechanism stronger and fairer.
Parliament also finalized its position on a temporary decarbonisation fund to support EU producers in export markets.
Sources: Energy Market Price
August 2026
Nippon Steel swings to profit as US Steel acquisition contributes first full quarter
Nippon Steel reported on August 4, 2026 that consolidated net profit for the April to June quarter swung to 75.2 billion yen from a 195.8 billion yen loss a year earlier, per BigGo Finance.
The company raised its full-year net profit forecast to 290 billion yen from 220 billion yen, with management describing US Steel as the group's top earner.
Revenue surged 40.4 percent to 2.82 trillion yen while business profit climbed 58.1 percent to 145.5 billion yen.
Sources: BigGo Finance
August 2026
JFE Steel produces first DRI prototype using green hydrogen
JFE Steel announced it has successfully produced a prototype of direct reduced iron using green hydrogen for the first time in Japan, GMK Center reported on August 3, 2026.
Trials ran from June 29 to July 1 at a pilot plant at the East Japan Works in Chiba, producing about one tonne of metal using hydrogen from a 1.5 MW electrolyser.
The project, funded by Japan's NEDO, is part of a consortium with Nippon Steel, Kobe Steel and the Japan Research Centre for Metallurgy developing hydrogen steelmaking technology.
Sources: GMK Center
July 2026
World crude steel output rose 1.7 percent in June 2026
The World Steel Association reported on July 23, 2026 that global crude steel production was 155.7 million tonnes in June, up 1.7 percent from June 2025.
Africa led regional growth at 20.0 percent, the EU rose 4.6 percent and North America 5.0 percent, while the Middle East fell 13.4 percent.
China produced 83.7 million tonnes, up 0.4 percent, while India grew 4.5 percent to 14.1 million tonnes.
Sources: ScrapMonster
June 2026
Nippon Steel to invest up to $2.5 billion in US Steel's Pennsylvania operations
Nippon Steel plans to invest up to $2.5 billion over three years in US Steel's Mon Valley Works in Pennsylvania, Just Auto reported on June 11, 2026.
Most of the spending will go to a new hot strip mill at the Edgar Thomson plant in Braddock using the latest production technologies, replacing the 87-year-old mill at Irvin.
The company said the investment would create 6,381 jobs over three years and generate up to $58 million in state and local tax revenue.
Sources: Just Auto
June 2026
Fitch raises iron ore and coking coal price forecasts on supply disruptions
Fitch Ratings raised its near-term iron ore price assumption to $100 per tonne from $95 and its 2026 coking coal assumption to $220 per tonne from $190, SteelOrbis reported on June 12, 2026.
The agency cited logistical disruptions, higher production costs and resilient steelmaker demand, with Middle East tensions lifting freight costs across commodity supply chains.
Supply tightened after production disruptions in Australia and a mining accident in China that affected domestic availability.
Sources: SteelOrbis
June 2026
World crude steel output edged down 0.3 percent in May 2026
The World Steel Association reported that global crude steel production was 157.9 million tonnes in May 2026, down 0.3 percent from May 2025.
North America posted the strongest regional growth at 15.6 percent, while the Middle East fell 19.4 percent and China declined 2.7 percent to 84.4 million tonnes.
Production for the first five months of 2026 totaled 773.1 million tonnes, down 1.5 percent from the same period in 2025.
Sources: worldsteel
May 2026
Tata Steel fourth-quarter profit jumps 147 percent on stronger Indian demand
Tata Steel reported Q4 FY26 consolidated revenue of Rs 63,270 crore, up 13 percent year on year, and profit after tax of Rs 2,965 crore, up 147 percent, DSIJ reported in May 2026.
Consolidated EBITDA rose 47 percent to Rs 9,953 crore, with steel production of 8.23 million tonnes and deliveries of 8.72 million tonnes in the quarter.
The board recommended a dividend of Rs 4 per share, while adjusted EBITDA per tonne improved to Rs 11,401 from Rs 7,810 a year earlier.
Sources: DSIJ
May 2026
BMI raises 2026 coking coal forecast above $200 per tonne on supply pressures
Fitch Solutions' BMI unit raised its 2026 price forecast for Australian premium low-volatile hard coking coal to $210 per tonne from $190, SteelOrbis reported in May 2026.
The revision reflects persistent supply-side cost pressures, including high diesel costs limiting Mongolian trucking volumes and cyclone-related disruptions in Australia.
China's crude steel production is forecast to decline 4 percent to 922 million tonnes in 2026, while India remains the key demand growth driver.
Sources: SteelOrbis
April 2026
US overhauls Section 232 tariffs: 50 percent on steel assessed on full customs value
On April 2, 2026, the US president signed a proclamation restructuring Section 232 tariffs on steel, aluminum and copper, effective April 6, EY Tax News reported on April 3.
Articles made entirely of steel, aluminum or copper now face a 50 percent duty on the full customs value rather than just the metal content, with derivative articles at 25 percent on full value.
Products with 15 percent or less metal content by weight are exempt, and a reduced 10 percent rate applies to articles made with US-origin metal.
Sources: EY Tax News
March 2026
OECD warns steel excess capacity crisis deepens as Chinese exports surge
The OECD Steel Committee reported that China's steel exports reached a record 131 million tonnes in 2025, nearly doubling over three years, SteelOrbis reported in March 2026.
Global steelmaking capacity rose for a fourth consecutive year to 2.445 billion tonnes, with capacity contracting in OECD countries while expanding in India, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
A total of 75 new anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations were initiated in 2025, though the committee said circumvention through third countries is undermining their effectiveness.
Sources: SteelOrbis
February 2026
ArcelorMittal posts $3.2 billion profit for 2025 and lifts dividend
ArcelorMittal reported full-year 2025 results on February 5, 2026, with EBITDA of $6.54 billion, net income of $3.15 billion and basic EPS of $4.13, per StockTitan.
The board proposed a $0.60 annual dividend for 2026 alongside continued share buybacks, with year-end net debt of $7.9 billion and liquidity of $11.0 billion.
The company highlighted record iron ore shipments from Liberia and said new European trade measures including CBAM and tariff-rate quotas materially improve market structure.
Sources: StockTitan
January 2026
China's 2025 steel exports hit a record as domestic demand slumped
China's steel exports reached a record 119 million tonnes in 2025, surpassing the previous 2015 record of 112.4 million tonnes, Caixin reported on January 14, 2026, citing customs data.
Domestic steel consumption fell 5.4 percent to 808 million tonnes while crude output dropped 4 percent to 892 million tonnes in the first eleven months, pushing mills toward overseas markets.
Beijing introduced a steel export licensing system from January 1, 2026 to curb illicit exports amid rising global anti-dumping actions.
Sources: Caixin Global
January 2026
China's crude steel output drops below one billion tonnes for the first time since 2019
China produced 960.1 million tonnes of crude steel in 2025, down 4.4 percent from 2024 and below the one-billion-tonne mark for the first time since 2019, Reuters reported on January 28, 2026.
The decline reflects a managed capacity process by Beijing and the prolonged property downturn that has limited domestic steel demand.
Mysteel data showed 54 percent of Chinese steelmakers were profitable in 2025, up from 36 percent in 2024, even as India's steel demand jumped to 150 million tonnes in its 2025 fiscal year.
Sources: Reuters
December 2025
India imposes three-year safeguard duty of up to 12 percent on steel imports
India's finance ministry published a notification on December 30, 2025 imposing a three-year safeguard duty on select flat steel imports, reported December 31 by The Hindu BusinessLine.
The levy is 12 percent in the first year, tapering to 11.5 percent in the second and 11 percent in the third, applying to imports from China, Vietnam and Nepal while exempting stainless steel and specialty products.
The Directorate General of Trade Remedies recommended the duty after finding a 'recent, sudden, sharp and significant' increase in imports threatening domestic producers, following a provisional 200-day duty imposed in April.
Sources: The Hindu BusinessLine, Argus Media
December 2025
World crude steel output fell 4.6 percent in November 2025
The World Steel Association reported on December 23, 2025 that global crude steel production was 140.1 million tonnes in November, down 4.6 percent from November 2024.
China produced 69.9 million tonnes, down 10.9 percent, while India grew 10.8 percent to 13.7 million tonnes and the United States rose 8.5 percent to 6.8 million tonnes.
Output for January to November 2025 totaled 1,662.2 million tonnes, down 2.0 percent from the same period in 2024.
Sources: worldsteel
November 2025
Iron ore futures fall to multi-month lows as China demand stays weak
On November 10, 2025, iron ore futures on China's Dalian exchange touched an intraday low of 756 yuan per tonne ($106.23), the weakest since July, while the Singapore benchmark fell to $100.85 per tonne, per a FinancialContent market report.
Port inventories in China reached 138.44 million tonnes by November 7, the highest since March, signaling a gap between supply and actual consumption.
Weakness in China's property sector, which accounts for about 40 percent of the country's steel demand, drove mill production cuts and kept buyers on the sidelines.
Sources: FinancialContent