【SMM Steel】BlueScope Steel lodged an AD application on April 30, withdrew it on May 22, and immediately filed a new application. The probe targets S.Korea's Dongkuk Steel, Dongkuk Coated Metal, POSCO, and Vietnam's Hoa Sen and Nam Kim Steel. Products covered are flat-rolled zinc-coated steel 0.3-3.5mm thick, excluding painted, pre-painted, electro-galvanised, corrugated, and aluminium-zinc alloyed goods. The ADC expects to issue its SEF by September 9, 2026, with a final ruling by October 26, 2026.

In Q1 2026, POSCO Holdings Group recorded revenue of 17.9 trillion won, up 1,035 billion won QoQ; gross profit was 15.2 trillion won, up 488 billion won QoQ; gross profit margin rose 2.4 percentage points QoQ to 8.5%; selling, general and administrative expenses were 810 billion won, down 206 billion won QoQ; operating profit was 707 billion won, up significantly by 694 billion won QoQ, with profitability improving substantially; operating profit margin rose 3.9 percentage points QoQ to 4.0%; pre-tax profit was 757 billion won, achieving a turnaround from loss to profit; net profit was 543 billion won, up 854 billion won QoQ; net profit attributable to the parent company was 467 billion won.

According to investment banking industry sources on May 21, POSCO Future M has decided to sell its entire remaining 8.30% stake in Chinese synthetic graphite anode materials company, Inner Mongolia Sinuo New Material Technology Co., Ltd.

POSCO Future M announced on May 20 that it has developed silicon anode materials capable of storing more than four times as much energy as graphite-based anode materials. The company is pursuing mass-production supply of silicon anode materials in 2028, taking into account market demand and changes in the market environment.

【SMM Steel】The US Department of Commerce issued a final determination in its countervailing duty administrative review, finding that POSCO Co., Ltd. received countervailable subsidies on carbon and alloy steel cut-to-length plate exports to the US during the January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023 review period, with a final subsidy rate of 3.70%. The rate applies to POSCO's cross-owned entities and its affiliated trading company POSCO International. The determination comes as the US Court of International Trade has remanded certain key issues, requiring Commerce to provide better substantiation on electricity pricing benchmarks and whether carbon allowances constitute "financial contributions". US steelmaker Nucor has appealed the trade court's ruling.

According to Anson on May 14, both Anson’s board and POSCO Holdings’ board have approved the terms of a definitive agreement to build and operate a DLE demonstration plant. The two companies will build the demonstration plant at the Green River Lithium Project site in the Paradox Basin in Utah, the United States. Through the demonstration plant, lithium will be extracted from brine produced from Anson’s Bosydaba #1 well. The companies aim to sign the final agreement within the second quarter and begin operating the plant next year. They plan to carry out demonstration work through 2028 to secure DLE technology.