Brazilian Miner Samarco Advances Production Resumptions at Two Pellet Plants in Ubu, Targeting Capacity of About 25 Million mt/Year

[SMM Stainless Steel Daily Review] SS Futures Pullback Transmitted to Spot Market, Wait-and-See Sentiment Intensified and Stainless Steel Prices Pulled Back SMM, June 4 — SS futures trended lower and pulled back. Dragged down by declining SHFE nickel prices, SS futures pulled back in tandem, operating overall below the 15,000 yuan/mt level. As of the morning close, the most-traded SS contract was quoted at 14,745 yuan/mt. Spot market side, affected by the decline in SS futures, wait-and-see sentiment among downstream end-users of spot stainless steel heated up notably, with inquiries and transaction activity in the spot market weakening further, and trader offers adjusted downward accordingly. The most-traded SS contract fell and pulled back. At 10:15 AM, SS2607 was quoted at 14,770 yuan/mt, down 245 yuan/mt from the previous trading day. Spot premiums for 304/2B in the Wuxi area were in the range of 400-900 yuan/mt. In the spot market, the average price of cold-rolled 201/2B coil in Wuxi remained flat; for cold-rolled trimmed-edge 304/2B coil, the average price fell 50 yuan/mt in both Wuxi and Foshan; cold-rolled 316L/2B coil prices in Wuxi remained flat; for hot-rolled 316L/NO.1 coil, Wuxi quotes rose 50 yuan/mt; cold-rolled 430/2B coil in both Wuxi and Foshan held steady. This week, the stainless steel market saw futures edging up slightly while spot prices moved sideways and stabilized. The futures-spot linkage remained weak, and the market officially entered the traditional consumption off-season, with the tug-of-war between longs and shorts on fundamentals intensifying. Traders had weak confidence in the market outlook with strong wait-and-see sentiment, but the slight recovery in futures stabilized market activity. Combined with steel mills' agents selling at stable prices and downstream...

The Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) reported that global recycled steel consumption grew by 4.5% year-on-year to 480 million metric tons (mt) in 2025 across key markets, even as global crude steel output fell by 1.9% to approximately 1.85 billion mt. Global direct reduced iron (DRI) production also climbed 4.9% to 153 million mt, largely driven by India's 7.4% output increase to 58.9 million mt. In terms of trade flows, the EU-27 and the US remained the largest scrap exporters at 16.68 million mt and 11.76 million mt, respectively, while Turkey retained its position as the top importer with 18.76 million mt despite a 6.6% volume decline. Pakistan posted exceptionally strong import growth, surging 39.8% to 3.02 million mt. This decoupling of scrap consumption from total crude steel production underscores the accelerating global shift toward lower-carbon electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking. The sustained demand for scrap and DRI signals structurally tighter future raw material supplies, which will continually reshape global trade dynamics as countries secure resources for decarbonization.

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has officially initiated an anti-dumping investigation into cold-rolled coil (CRC) and hot-rolled coil (HRC) imported from South Korea, China, and Taiwan. The probe, prompted by petitions from domestic producers including Nippon Steel and JFE Steel, targets the growing market penetration of these imports. According to METI, CRC import volumes increased from 830,818 metric tons (mt) in fiscal year 2021 to 874,353 mt in fiscal year 2023, while HRC imports surged from 1.22 million mt in FY2021 to 1.43 million mt between October 2024 and September 2025. Scheduled to conclude within one year, this defensive trade measure highlights the intense pressure on Japanese steelmakers caused by lower-priced imports amid stagnant domestic demand. If duties are imposed, it could significantly restrict regional trade flows, forcing foreign suppliers to divert tonnages elsewhere while simultaneously tightening local supply to support the profit margins and pricing power of Japanese mills.