In March 2025, Japan’s exports of ferrous scrap reached 645,569 metric tons (mt), marking a 25.1% increase from 515,832 mt in March 2024.

According to the latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), global GDP growth is now projected to slow to 2.8% in 2025 and 3% in 2026.

In January 2025, French steel companies increased their exports of rolled metal products to third countries by 16.9% compared to the same month in the previous year, reaching 158.21 thousand tons. This was also a 24.9% rise month-on-month.

The Indonesian government says it will propose buying US energy products, such as crude oil and liquefied natural gas, worth at least 10 billion US dollars a year in the tariff conflict with the United States.

Global stainless steel production in 2024 saw a 7% year-on-year increase, reaching a total of 62.621 million tons, according to data from the World Stainless Association, a non-profit organization.

Earlier this week, the United States rejected the European Union's zero-for-zero tariff proposal, deeming it inadequate. President Trump had suggested that the EU should also increase its energy imports from the US, particularly in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG), to address the significant trade deficit between the two blocs.

China's industrial sector is picking up speed, with the official Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) reaching 50.5 points in March, marking the highest level in a year.

In February 2025, global steel production across 69 countries totaled 144.7 million tons, marking a 3.4% decline compared to the same month in 2024.

China's steel industry saw a 1.5% year-on-year decline in production during January-February 2025, totaling 166.3 million tons, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBS), as reported by Reuters.

Steel buyers in Europe are facing a market shift, as local producers are no longer offering hot-rolled coil (HRC) below €600 per tonne.