The United Kingdom government officially launched a new national Steel Strategy on March 19, 2026, aimed at domesticating 50% of the nation's steel consumption, up from the current 30%. As part of this robust trade defense, the UK will reduce tariff-free import quotas by 60% effective July 1, 2026, while raising the maximum Most Favored Nation (MFN) tariff to 50% for imports exceeding these limits. This move is designed to shield the domestic industry—currently transitioning from traditional blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces (EAF)—from global overcapacity and extreme subsidies.

On June 13, Anji Logistics, the logistics arm of SAIC Motor, officially named and delivered its 36th self-operated roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) vessel, Anji Soundness, built by Jinling Shipyard, China Mer...

Basingstoke, UK - 16 April 2025 - LevertonHELM, a prominent UK chemicals manufacturer with a near five-decade legacy of expertise in the lithium sector, has today launched a groundbreaking £30 million state-of-the-art Lithium Chloride solution production facility, marking a significant leap forward in the United Kingdom's green industrial strategy.

In recent days, three energy storage system fires or explosions were reported in the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom, drawing renewed attention to safety concerns in the sector.

[SMM Flash News] Russian President Putin has asked the government to consider whether it is necessary to restrict the export of bulk commodities such as nickel, titanium, and uranium in retaliation for Western sanctions. Earlier, after the implementation of sanctions by the United States and the United Kingdom, the London Metal Exchange banned the acceptance of newly produced Russian nickel and aluminum in April, but Russia sold most of its output to end users. "I am not saying we must do this tomorrow, but we can consider imposing certain restrictions on supplies to foreign markets, not only for the commodities I mentioned, but also for some other commodities," Putin said.

[Putin Calls for Consideration of Restricting Exports of Bulk Commodities Such as Nickel and Uranium] Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked the government to consider whether it is necessary to restrict the exports of bulk commodities such as nickel, titanium, and uranium in retaliation for Western sanctions. Earlier, after the United States and the United Kingdom imposed sanctions, the London Metal Exchange banned the acceptance of newly produced Russian nickel and aluminum in April, but Russia sold most of its production to end users.

[Scrap Aluminum Imports Declined by 3.1% Month-on-Month in July] According to customs data, domestic scrap aluminum imports in July 2024 amounted to approximately 136,000 tonnes, a month-on-month decrease of 3.1% and a year-on-year increase of approximately 8.7%. From January to July 2024, the total domestic scrap aluminum imports were approximately 1,086,000 tonnes, representing a year-on-year increase of 11.9%. The primary sources of domestic scrap aluminum imports from January to July were countries and regions such as Thailand, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Among them, Thailand accounted for a total of 162,000 tonnes of scrap aluminum imports, representing 14.9% of the total domestic imports. Malaysia contributed approximately 151,000 tonnes of scrap aluminum imports, accounting for 13.9% of the total domestic scrap aluminum imports.

The aluminium packaging recycling rate in the United Kingdom (UK) hit an impressive 68 per cent in 2023, according to the National Packaging Waste Database published by the Environment Agency.

Nickel prices have remained strong recently, rising to a high of 148,270 yuan/mt and then falling back, but still above 140,000 yuan/mt.

What are the differences between the historical sanctions requirements issued by the LME regarding Russia and the current ones? What are the LME-involved sanctioned deliverable resources, including Russian-related brands? What is the Russia copper proportion in LME inventory?... All these questions can be addressed in the following article.