[SMM Hot Topic: "Fivefold Trade Deficit! The Philippine Steel Industry Trapped in an 'Import Black Hole,' When Will Domestic Capacity Break Through?" — Detailed Analysis of the Philippine Chapter in ASEAN Steel Industry Development] According to the latest 2024 economic performance data of the ASEAN Six Major Economies, the Philippines ranks as the fourth-largest economy in ASEAN, with a real economic growth of 5.6% in 2024, an acceleration of 0.1 percentage points compared to the previous year. The GDP is approximately $462.3 billion. With a population of nearly 113 million, the per capita GDP is around $4,095. The Philippines relies on China for nearly 80% of its steel imports. A detailed analysis of its steel industry is as follows.

[SMM Analysis: Shanghai Galvanised Coil Prices May Continue to Fluctuate at High Levels, February-March] Overview: From January to February, Shanghai galvanizing prices remained stable. Affected by the off-season in consumption, the overall market trading atmosphere was not active after entering January. However, due to relatively small overall inventory pressure and the high settlement prices of steel mill resources, market traders showed a strong sentiment to stand firm on quotes, leading to stable price performance. With the end of the holiday, downstream manufacturing and construction industries are gradually resuming production. How will Shanghai galvanised coil prices trend from February to March?

[SMM Analysis: 2024 Galvanized Sheet Market Review and 2025 Outlook] The calendar year 2024 has ended, with domestic demand for galvanized sheets remaining weak, while exports showed robust growth. End-user orders fluctuated. Additionally, cold-rolled prices declined steadily in H1, only rebounding around the National Day holiday. Affected by this, galvanized sheet finished product prices also weakened MoM...

According to reports on April 17, US President Biden announced that the US will raise tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminium products to 25% before the end of investigation of current "Section 301".