SMM Hot Topic: Limited Growth in Iron Ore Imports from Russia & Ukraine Amid Conflict

SMM has been deeply engaged in the metal industry for decades, consistently upholding the principles of objectivity, neutrality, pragmatism, and rigor. By adhering to actual market transactions as the core pricing benchmark and leveraging its well-established price assessment methodology and comprehensive data system, SMM continues to deliver standardized market benchmarks for participants across the industry chain. This provides solid support for industry pricing standards, transaction settlements, and business decision-making, serving as a long-term partner in the steady development of the metal industry.

[Turkey] Recently, Turkish long steel giant Kardemir launched a new round of billet sales. By slightly lowering its list prices, the company rapidly attracted a large volume of domestic orders and subsequently closed the sale. The company offered S235JR grade billets at 530 USD/tonne (EXW), a decrease of 5 USD/tonne from the previous round, while B420 grade billets were priced at 540 USD/tonne (EXW), down by 10 USD/tonne.

This week, ferrous metals rose and then pulled back, moving sideways overall, with coking coal and coke experiencing a more notable pullback. In the first half of the week, market rumors suggested that a thermal coal supply assurance meeting would be held on Friday, which, combined with the sharp pullback on the raw material side driven by industrial capital fleeing, led to an overall pullback in ferrous metals. In the second half of the week, Trump's visit to China and trade negotiations proceeded simultaneously, but futures had already priced this in earlier, with no significant fluctuations. When the five major steel product data were released, supply showed some divergence, demand generally increased, and inventory destocking was strong. Spot market side, spot prices were held relatively firm, market transactions were mostly at low prices, and when the spot-futures price spread widened, basis traders were seen making shipments...