Photo by JAXPORT U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) have urged the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to bring a World Trade Organization (WTO) case against China in an effort to address aluminum overcapacity. “Exponential growth in China’s aluminum sector, fueled by heavily subsidized, government-directed lending, has had…

Crude steel production was flat in June and down -1.9 percent in the first six months of 2016, the World Steel Association (worldsteel) reported in its most recent steel production update. First-half production increased by 0.6 percent in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) but declined by: -0.6 percent in North…

Recycling center operators project slight increases in scrap metal prices over the coming year. Ferrous and non-ferrous prices should improve slightly within the next three, six and 12 months, according to respondents to the ScrapyardPRO Scrap Metal Market Outlook. Respondents continue to worry about the economy and material prices though, and…

Steel market forecasts for 2016 call for a slight rebound in demand, which could boost depressed scrap metal prices. Recovery is contingent upon consumption increasing in China, where demand and prices have dropped precipitously. The World Steel Association (worldsteel) projects global steel demand to increase by 0.7 percent in 2016…

Declining metals prices are pinching profitability for scrapyards. Scrap consumers are paying them less but yards are forced to pay their customers more to get them to sell in a deflated market. “When prices tend to come off there’s less incentive for people to bring materials into the yards because…