[SMM Steel] The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) urged the USTR to impose cumulative tariffs under the Section 301 investigation targeting economies linked to global steel overcapacity. AISI highlighted record Chinese steel exports of 131 million mt in 2025 and rising shipments from India, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, and Mexico. The institute argued that subsidized exports and redirected trade flows are pressuring the US steel market. If approved, additional Section 301 tariffs could be added on top of existing Section 232 duties, potentially lifting total US steel tariffs on some countries to 60-75%.

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that US steel mills shipped 7.74 million net tons in March 2026, marking a 10.9% increase from the 6.98 million net tons shipped in February, though down 0.6% compared to March 2025. Total shipments for the first quarter of 2026 reached 21.82 million net tons, a 1.6% decrease year-on-year. Specifically, shipments of corrosion-resistant steel rose by 12%, cold rolled sheets by 11%, and hot rolled sheets by 6% compared to the previous month. The significant monthly rebound indicates a seasonal recovery in manufacturing and construction demand, though the slight year-on-year decline suggests the market is still adjusting to broader economic cooling compared to the previous year.

On April 9, 2026, the Japanese Cabinet officially approved the latest amendment to the Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Act (commonly known as the "Waste Cleansing Act"). The core of the amendment is to upgrade metal recycling operations from a notification system to a permit system, and to impose a new obligation requiring confirmation from the Minister of the Environment for scrap metal exports.

[SMM Steel] According to American Iron and Steel Institute, US raw steel production totaled 1.83 mln net tons in the week ending April 25, 2026, down 1.0% week on week, with capacity utilization at 79.3%. Despite the weekly decline, output was up 8.7% year on year, reflecting stronger underlying demand. Year-to-date production reached 29.55 mln net tons, rising 6.0% YoY, with utilization at 77.8%, indicating stable operating conditions in the US steel sector.

【SMM Steel】Egypt's Ezz Steel plans a $780m investment to establish a DRI plant in Algeria. The company submitted project details to AAPI, intending to utilize local iron ore and benefits like reduced taxes/energy costs. The project has a financing structure of $155m equity and $625m debt, targeting 2.5 Mt/y of sponge iron. By accessing Algeria's iron ore, Ezz Steel intends to expand the facility into an integrated industrial complex covering various stages of iron and steel production.

[SMM Steel] Japan Iron and Steel Federation reported Japan’s domestic steel consumption reached 7.19 million tons in Jan–Feb 2026, up 1.8% YoY. February consumption stood at 3.58 million tons (-0.5% MoM, +3% YoY). Sector-wise, automotive demand rose 3% YoY to 1.90 million tons, while construction declined 3.9% YoY and shipbuilding fell 1.8% YoY, indicating mixed demand dynamics.

[SMM Steel] American Iron and Steel Institute reported that US crude steel production reached 1.848 million net tons in the week ending April 18, 2026, up 0.3% week-on-week, with capacity utilization at 80.0%. Output increased 9.7% year-on-year, while year-to-date production totaled 27.72 million net tons, up 5.8% YoY, indicating steady recovery in US steel production.

According to China News Service, on April 16, at the plant of Jiuquan Iron and Steel (Group) Co., Ltd. in Jiayuguan City, Gansu Province, automated equipment was producing a new generation of zinc-aluminum-magnesium products. It was reported that the group assembled a specialized team to tackle zinc-aluminum-magnesium technology. Against the backdrop of formidable external technical barriers and the absence of batch production track records in China, the team spent six years of intensive efforts to produce China's first coil of zinc-aluminum-magnesium products with proprietary intellectual property rights. At the end of 2025, JISCO's new generation of zinc-aluminum-magnesium products was unveiled. This product category represents the most technically challenging variety in the hot-dip galv

According to China News Service, on April 16, at the plant of Jiuquan Iron and Steel (Group) Co., Ltd. in Jiayuguan City, Gansu Province, automated equipment was producing a new generation of zinc-aluminum-magnesium products. It was reported that the group assembled a specialized team to tackle zinc-aluminum-magnesium technology. Against the backdrop of formidable external technical barriers and the absence of batch production track records in China, the team spent six years of intensive efforts to produce China's first coil of zinc-aluminum-magnesium products with proprietary intellectual property rights. At the end of 2025, JISCO's new generation of zinc-aluminum-magnesium products was unveiled. This product category represents the most technically challenging variety in the hot-dip galvanizing industry. JISCO is the only company in China to have achieved large-scale batch production, filling the technological gap in related fields in China. The products have been successfully applied in highly corrosive environments such as cooling towers, motor housings, energy storage, and offshore PV, and have been exported to multiple countries including Thailand, the Philippines, and Argentina.

[SMM Steel] United States iron and steel scrap exports totaled 849,092 mt in February, down 9.6% MoM and 19.6% YoY. Turkey remained the top buyer at 259,471 mt (-16.3% MoM), followed by Mexico, Thailand, and Taiwan. Export value fell to $426.75 million. In the short term, lower scrap flows may tighten supply for import-dependent markets while reflecting softer buying activity.