【SMM Steel】South Korea's Customs Service will implement regular four-year audits for all 28 products under AD duties, including carbon steel plate and PET film, starting this month. The move aims to counter rising protectionism and oversupply. AD cases rose from 5 in 2020 to 13 in 2025. Using AI-based monitoring, the KCS will detect evasion like false declarations or third-country circumvention. Selected firms will face integrated investigations.

【SMM Steel】Turkey's steel exporters, facing global oversupply and rising protectionism, will prioritize nearby markets like the Balkans, Eastern Europe, and the EU. This leverages faster delivery and lower logistics costs. Despite a slow start due to CBAM, European demand is expected to recover in March-April. The sector also aims to boost high-value products like stainless and coated steel to move beyond price competition with low-cost producers.

Facing escalating trade tensions, the U.S. sharply raised tariffs on Chinese imports to a dramatic 104%, intensifying debates about their real impact. While the White House asserts these measures will revive domestic manufacturing, deeper analysis suggests the tariffs may serve more as political signals than effective economic solutions. This article examines the strategic motivations, practical limitations, and long-term implications of America's unprecedented tariff policy.

He Yongqian, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, stated at a regular press conference that China urges the United States to immediately cease the Section 232 tariff measures. China believes that the United States' initiation of Section 232 investigations into imported automobiles, steel, aluminum, and other products constitutes unilateralism and protectionism, harms the rights and interests of other countries, undermines the rules of the multilateral trading system, and does not contribute to the development of domestic industries. China calls on both sides to engage in equal dialogue and properly address the concerns of all parties.

According to a report, China has denounced Canada's proposed tariffs on Chinese aluminium, steel, and electric vehicles. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Canada said Canada's tariff plans reflect a typical act of trade protectionism and political dominance.

[SMM Analysis: Risk of Decline in Aluminum Wheel Exports] Due to factors such as the slow pace of global economic recovery and the rise of trade protectionism, there have been no many optimistic signals for overseas demand for aluminum wheels. In the future, there may be a risk of decline in China's aluminum wheel exports...

The beginning of 2026 did not bring the calm usually expected in the global stainless steel industry chain ahead of the traditional Lunar New Year offseason. Instead, under the double pincer attack of surging raw material costs and escalating trade protectionism, the market is undergoing a violent restructuring.

SMM September 20: As global manufacturing gradually recovers, the core application areas of tin ingots, such as electronics and the automotive industry, show strong demand, indicating that tin ingot consumption is likely to further increase. However, potential risks to the global economy, such as inflation, trade protectionism, and geopolitical tensions, may adversely affect the tin market, exacerbating tin ingot price volatility and impacting exporters' decisions and the supply-demand balance in the market.

The latest report from the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Union (EU) points out that titanium metal is crucial for the aerospace, defense, and green digital industries. However, 95% of the EU's demand for titanium relies on imports, exposing it to geopolitical risks and supply monopolies. The report recommends safeguarding supply by strengthening international cooperation, enhancing recycling, and partially relocating capacity back to the EU, a move that could potentially drive local employment growth. Currently, the global titanium supply chain is affected by protectionism and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, necessitating urgent policy intervention by the EU to ensure strategic autonomy.

[China Urges U.S. to Halt 232 Tariff Measures as Soon as Possible] On May 15, at the regular press conference of the Ministry of Commerce held today, the spokesperson stated that regarding the U.S. 232 tariffs on imported automobiles, steel, and aluminum, as well as the initiation of a 232 investigation into imported pharmaceuticals, China believes that the U.S. actions are typical examples of unilateralism and protectionism. They not only harm the interests of other countries and undermine the rules-based multilateral trading system, but also do not benefit the development of the U.S. domestic industry. China urges the U.S. to halt the 232 tariff measures as soon as possible and properly address the concerns of all parties through equal dialogue.