【SMM Steel】ArcelorMittal announced a partnership with Renault to supply low-carbon steel for EV production, advancing supply chain decarbonization. The new Usibor® 1500 XCarb® steel is used on structural parts, cutting carbon while maintaining strength and safety. The move supports Renault's emission targets and improves EV performance.

【SMM Steel】The USDOC launched its third sunset review of AD/CVD duties on prestressed concrete steel wire strand from China. The ITC also started a concurrent sunset injury review. Interested parties have 10 days to register with the DOC. ITC responses due May 1, 2026. The case dates back to 2009, with final determinations in 2010. First sunset reviews began in 2015, second in 2020.

【SMM Steel】Interpipe completed its acquisition of ArcelorMittal's Romanian unit, AMTP Roman, effective Mar 31, 2026. The move expands Interpipe's European footprint and establishes its first EU production base. The facility will strengthen its vertically integrated ops in Ukraine. AMTP Roman produces seamless steel pipes with diameters from 168.3 mm to 406.4 mm.

Panama’s government expects to issue a resolution by Tuesday allowing First Quantum Minerals to remove stockpiled ore from the closed Cobre Panama copper mine, Trade Minister Julio Molto said Monday.The mine holds about 38 million metric tons of stockpiled ore, which could yield roughly 70,000 tons of copper. First Quantum has said processing could begin about three months after formal approval and take around a year to complete.

[SMM Aluminum Express News] Metro Mining (ASX:MMI) resumed operations at Bauxite Hills in mid-March after Tropical Cyclone Narelle caused minimal disruption, with only seven days of lost production and no infrastructure damage. The Port of Skardon reopened on 25 March, with barging gradually returning to full capacity by mid-April. Despite the disruption, 100,000 WMT was shipped in March. Transhipping continues via TSA Skardon Floating Crane and ultramax vessels, while the Ikamba Offshore Floating Terminal is en route back from maintenance in Batam and expected to arrive end-April. Full-year 2026 shipments are forecast at 6.6–7.1 million WMT.

Ruijin Municipal People's Government Website's Public Notice Column published the "Post-Approval Public Notice on the Construction Engineering Planning Permit for the Annual Output of 90,000 Tons of High-Purity Cathode Copper Renovation Project": Project Name: Annual Output of 90,000 Tons of High-Purity Cathode Copper Renovation Project; Construction Unit: Jiangxi Jinna Copper Industry Co., Ltd.; Construction Location: Extended Area of Changzheng Avenue, Ruijin Economic and Technological Development Zone; Approval Date: April 2, 2026.

Recently, the Guyang-Baiyin'ebo Gas Transmission Pipeline Project's Guyang First Station and valve chamber, constructed by Shaanxi Construction & Installation Group, successfully passed the completion acceptance inspection. This key period marks a solid step toward official commissioning for this innovative infrastructure project equipped with a 20% hydrogen-blending transmission capability. It is reported that the Guyang-Baiyin'ebo Gas Transmission Pipeline Project is a key construction project under the "County-to-County Connection in Western Inner Mongolia" initiative of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region's 14th Five-Year Oil and Gas Development Plan. The pipeline stretches 125 km in total, starting from the Guyang First Station and running northward through Guyang County and Darhan Muminggan Joint Banner in Baotou City and the Baiyin'ebo Mining District, with its terminus at the Barun Industrial Park. As a distinctive project equipped with a 20% hydrogen-blending transmission capability, its completion and commissioning will drive the formation of a new interconnected ring-network gas supply pattern in the central and western regions of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, further enhancing energy supply security. This project is of great significance to the development of Baotou City. It will help this "World Capital of Rare Earth and Grassland Steel City" optimize its energy structure, improve production efficiency, and reduce energy costs, while providing energy support for technological innovation and industrial upgrading in the rare earth industry, building a stable energy supply chain, and strengthening the overall economic strength of the region. During the construction period, the Shaanxi Construction & Installation Group project team, upholding the enterprise philosophy of "Building for Good," successfully overcame challenges such as a short effective construction window and complex construction conditions. At the Kundulun River crossing section, the team employed large-scale horizontal directional drilling technology with round-the-clock operations, achieving a successful single-pass crossing with a 100% pass rate in conductivity testing. In addition, the project was the first in China to implement the new standard "Steel Pipes for Pipeline Transportation Systems in the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industry," verifying the feasibility of large-scale, long-distance hydrogen transportation using spiral submerged arc welded pipes and contributing to the realization of the nation's "dual carbon" goals.

[SMM Steel] ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih lost around 300,000 mt of steel exports in Q1 2026 after the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism added $60–90/mt in extra costs, prompting EU customers to cancel orders. The company had planned to ship 1.2–1.25 million mt to Europe in 2026, nearly half of its production, but access to the EU market has been significantly disrupted.

[SMM Steel] The U.S. Department of Commerce announced final results of its antidumping review on rebar imports from Turkey, determining a weighted-average dumping margin of 18.87% for Çolakoğlu Metalurji. The review covered shipments between July 2023 and June 2024, confirming that certain exports were sold below normal value, potentially impacting Turkish rebar shipments to the US market.

In Q1 2026, China's secondary lead market navigated through turbulence amid holiday effects and industry difficulties. Following a sharp production decline of over 140,000 mt in February, the market saw a post-holiday recovery rebound in March, but the recovery fell short of expectations, with the industry mired in the dual constraints of "profit pressure and tight raw material supply." Looking ahead to April, although large smelters are expected to resume production in a concentrated manner……