Pasar nikel alami perdagangan spot terbatas, harga NPI kadar tinggi bertahan kokoh di tengah ketidakpastian

A written parliamentary question posed to the European Commission asked: "What monetisable compensation does the Commission envisage for downstream producers whose embedded costs originate upstream, and who do not qualify for the decarbonisation fund?" Commissioner Hoekstra's July 14 response offered no direct answer, pointing instead to the Temporary Decarbonisation Fund — designed primarily for large EU ETS installations — with a vague note that it "may also decrease associated downstream costs," with no obligation, guarantee, or figure attached. Critics note that large integrated steelmakers benefit from multiple layers of protection including tariffs, quotas, free ETS allowances, and decarbonisation funding, while import-dependent SMEs and downstream processors face rising procurement costs, CBAM obligations, quota cuts exceeding 45%, and heavy administrative burdens — with no cumulative impact assessment ever published by the Commission. Meanwhile, steel import quota data remains poorly updated, with the Commission confirming it will update TRQs only once daily with no real-time data, and declining to recognize the "Total awaiting allocation" figure as legally binding.

Finland-based stainless steel producer Outokumpu has awarded Primetals Technologies an order to upgrade a ladle treatment stand at its Calvert, Alabama plant to a 180mt twin ladle furnace, with startup scheduled for March 2028. Replacing equipment commissioned in 2012, the new furnace will provide electrical heating following the AOD converter, improving temperature control, process flexibility, and productivity while reducing energy consumption and carbon footprint, utilizing the existing plant layout and foundations. The scope covers mechanical and electrical equipment, automated argon lancing, hydraulic systems, Level 1 automation, and the Primetals Melt Expert electrode control system. Outokumpu's Calvert facility currently melts up to 100% stainless steel scrap in a 160mt electric arc furnace before processing in a 180mt AOD converter, with two ladle treatment stands and a single-strand slab caster.

Industri baja tahan karat Taiwan, Tiongkok, menunjukkan tren yang berbeda pada Juni, dengan volume impor melonjak 24% dibandingkan bulan sebelumnya menjadi 120.500 ton — tertinggi dalam dua tahun — sementara ekspor turun di bawah ambang 70.000 ton menjadi 68.100 ton, turun 11,9% dari Mei. Meskipun volume menyusut, harga memperlihatkan kekuatan: harga ekspor naik lebih dari NT$450 dibandingkan bulan sebelumnya ke level tertinggi sejak Februari tahun lalu, sedangkan harga impor naik lebih dari NT$1.800 dibandingkan bulan sebelumnya ke level tertinggi dalam dua setengah tahun. Secara keseluruhan untuk semester pertama, total volume impor sekitar 581.000 ton melampaui kumulatif pengapalan ekspor sebesar 414.200 ton, mencerminkan bahwa meskipun pabrik berhasil mendorong kenaikan harga, mencapai pertumbuhan volume pengiriman ke luar negeri secara bersamaan tetap menjadi tantangan.