Nickel ore port inventories shrink across Chinese ports

According to the Stainless Steel Industry Association (PASSAD), Turkey's steel sector surpassed Germany in 2025 to become Europe's largest producer, but officials warned that the industry faces severe cost risks under the new CBAM regime (effective Jan 1, 2026) if companies rely on high default emission values (2.3 tons) instead of actual data (0.6-0.7 tons). To maintain competitiveness and meet net-zero goals by 2053, the sector requires $31.4 billion in investment, supported by the newly launched Turkey Industrial Decarbonization Investment Platform (TIDIP) and the upcoming Climate Law No. 7552.

According to reports on Feb 20, German Environment Minister Carsten Schneider urged industries to show "location patriotism" by prioritizing domestic green steel, a move critics call unrealistic given the EU's 75% reliance on imported iron ore and the fact that cited examples like Deutsche Bahn's green tracks cover only 0.04% of the network. Simultaneously, analysts warn that the EU's protectionist tariff strategy may backfire, citing a NY Fed study showing that over 90% of US tariff costs were passed to consumers while the US trade deficit actually widened to $1.241 trillion in 2025.

According to a report on Feb 12, Thailand has initiated a sunset review of anti-dumping (AD) duties on cold-rolled stainless steel coils, sheets, and strips originating from Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. The existing duties were set to expire on February 17, 2026. However, authorities determined that expiration would likely lead to a recurrence of dumping. Consequently, importers are required to pay security deposits equivalent to the AD duty rates (Japan: 0-50.92%; Taiwan: 0-33.99%; Korea: 50.99%) effective from February 18, 2026, through February 17, 2027 pending the review outcome.