Itochu and BHP Greenlight Ministers North Iron Ore Mine

India's rolled steel exports experienced a significant 44.1% year-on-year increase in July 2026 as domestic mills actively targeted alternative markets to manage expanding capacity. The export push comes as the Indian steel industry seeks to balance aggressively growing internal capacity against shifting regional demand dynamics, with heavy volumes directed toward Southeast Asia and the Americas.

Provisional data from the Federal Statistical Office revealed that production in Germany's manufacturing sector grew by 0.2% month-on-month in June 2026, driven significantly by a 3.6% expansion in the automotive industry. The consecutive monthly growth offers a modest demand buffer for domestic flat steel producers facing an otherwise stagnant macroeconomic environment. However, industry groups warn that critically low water levels on the Rhine River could throttle supply chains and erase these gains in the third quarter.