The global stainless steel market navigated a series of sharp sentiment. The opening weeks saw Indonesia's mill closures and price hikes push the cost narrative to its highest point of the year, before a combination of easing geopolitical tensions triggered the first price reduction since December 2025. The month's defining characteristic was similar to April's. What differentiated May was the sharply higher amplitude of both the policy signals and the emotional swings that accompanied them.

On May 12, the 2026 SMM (3rd) Global Renewable Metal Industry Chain Summit & Battery Recycling Forum , organized by Shanghai Metals Market (SMM), drew to a successful close at the Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel in Tokyo, Japan! Following the event, SMM arranged an overseas field trip for delegates. The delegation paid visits to renowned local recycling enterprises in Japan to learn about operational practices and technological advancements in Japan's recycled non-ferrous metal sector. On the afternoon of May 13, the delegation visited Noda Metal Industry and received a warm welcome from the firm’s management. Company Profile Noda Metal Industry Co., Ltd. is located in Noda City, Chiba Prefecture, and is engaged in the recycling of various scrap metals including aluminum and copper. The company is committed to creating recycling value and contributing to society through its scrap metal recycling business, and therefore purchases and recycles scrap metals under strict quality management. It primarily recovers or sells scrap metals generated from demolition sites, factories, and other locations, with products exported to Southeast Asia, China, and other countries. With stable business capabilities and high-quality services, the company has established a scalable operational advantage. Its current annual aluminum scrap trading volume exceeds 20,000 mt, and copper scrap trading volume exceeds 5,000 mt, continuously contributing to the development of the circular economy. This visit was an important practice of SMM's efforts to build an international exchange platform for the recycled metal industry, creating a bridge for direct dialogue and experience sharing between Chinese and Japanese enterprises. Through on-site observation and face-to-face exchanges, attendees gained in-depth understanding of Noda Metal Industry Co., Ltd.'s technological advantages, operational management experience, and market strategies in the recycled metal sector. They gained particularly valuable insights in areas such as refined processing of scrap metals and collaborative operations across the entire industry chain, providing valuable references for enterprises in China to optimize production models and enhance technological capabilities.

JFE Steel commenced operations of its new electric furnace at the Chiba District of East Japan Works. The 15-billion-yen facility is designed to significantly increase scrap metal utilization in stainless steel production, replacing blast furnace molten iron. The upgrade expands JFE’s scrap melting capacity sixfold to 300,000 tons per year, which is expected to slash annual greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 450,000 tons. This project represents a pivotal step in JFE Steel's roadmap toward achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 through innovative, low-carbon manufacturing processes.

【SMM Steel】JFE Steel will restructure its domestic sheet business under its "JFE Vision 2035" strategy. It plans to shut down the Keihin pickling line in FY2026 and the No.4 CGL by end of H1 FY2028. Production will consolidate at Chiba, Kurashiki, and Fukuyama. The move aims to cut fixed costs and boost annual profit by ~¥10bn. Keihin will become an eastern Japan hub for plates/pipes. JFE will manage employee transfers carefully.

On January 29, 2026, Idemitsu Kosan officially began construction of a large-scale pilot facility for solid electrolytes, marking a critical milestone after three decades of dedication to the sulfide route and thirteen years of deep collaboration with Toyota. The plant is designed to achieve an annual capacity of several hundred metric tons, aiming to address key challenges in scaling up production and reducing costs ahead of mass manufacturing.

A study by Chiba University in Japan has brought a breakthrough for large-scale hydrogen production from water. Scientists discovered that modifying platinum cathodes with natural purine bases (such as caffeine and theophylline) can increase hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity by more than four times, while significantly reducing platinum usage in electrolyzers, contributing to lower green hydrogen costs . Currently, hydrogen production from water faces economic challenges due to high electrolyzer costs, with prices reaching $2,000–2,600 per kW in 2024. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has set targets to reduce green hydrogen costs to $2 per kg by 2025 and $1 per kg by 2030. The research, led by Dr. Kensuke Tanaka and Professor Masashi Nakamura of the Chiba University Graduate School of Engineering, was published online on September 4, 2025, and appeared in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Volume 172, on September 26. The Technical Principle lies in: during electrolysis, hydrogen ions (H⁺) must first adsorb onto the catalyst; in alkaline media, breaking the O–H bond of water by the catalyst increases energy consumption. However, purine derivatives (such as caffeine, xanthine, purine, theophylline, and theobromine) can promote hydrogen adsorption and accelerate the reaction even under alkaline conditions. Among them, purine and theophylline increased HER activity by 4.2 times and 5 times, respectively. Structural analysis revealed that purine molecules form a cage-like hydrogen bond network with surrounding water, which facilitates OH⁻ removal and lowers the energy barrier for HER. Professor Masashi Nakamura pointed out that the scarcity of platinum limits the scalability of water electrolysis and fuel cell technologies; reducing platinum loading is key . This method uses naturally abundant materials, combining scalability and environmental protection, which can both lower hydrogen production costs and improve the energy conversion efficiency of hydrogen production systems. It holds significant importance for achieving carbon neutrality through renewable energy-powered water electrolysis.