[SMM Analysis] Galvanized Sheet Market Review and Price Outlook

The United Kingdom's anti-dumping duty on certain cold-rolled flat steel products originating from China and Russia expired on August 5, 2026, according to a notice from the UK's Integrated Online Tariff service. The expiry removes a trade-defence measure that had applied to imports of these products, potentially opening the door to renewed import flows from the two origins absent a review or extension. The move stands in contrast to the European Union's parallel tightening of steel trade defences during the same period, highlighting a divergence in post-Brexit UK trade policy from the EU's approach on certain product lines. No announcement of a renewal investigation was noted alongside the expiry notice. UK steel producers and downstream buyers are expected to monitor import volumes in the products' categories in the coming months for any material shift. The development is procedural in nature but carries commercial significance for UK cold-rolled coil market participants.

JFE Steel successfully produced approximately one metric ton of reduced iron using 100% green hydrogen at a 15 kg/hour pilot plant in its East Japan Works. The trial, backed by Japan's NEDO Green Innovation Fund, marks a critical technical milestone for the country's decarbonization efforts by proving that iron ore can be stably reduced without fossil fuels in preparation for commercial direct hydrogen reduction implementation.

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that US domestic raw steel production for the week ending August 1 increased slightly by 0.6% to 1.870 million net tons. The capacity utilization rate hit 81.0%, bringing the year-to-date output to 55.510 million net tons, which represents a 5.8% increase compared to the same period in the previous year.