Steel market participants in both the North and Latin American markets are keeping tabs on the impact of trade relations with China in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 US presidential elections.

Jinnan Iron & Steel Group is the latest company to join the push to expand China's steelmaking footprint in the Middle East and is working with Brazil's Vale to establish an iron ore concentration plant at the Sohar Port and Freezone in Oman, Fastmarkets understands.

China’s ferro-alloy industry continues to track toward sustainable development, focusing on decarbonization as a foundation and utilizing renewable energy and advanced technologies to reduce electricity consumption, waste gas and slag.

Fastmarkets is launching reduced carbon emissions flat steel prices for China’s domestic market, starting from Friday October 11.

The adoption of decarbonization technologies and greener practices in Asia will be pivotal to the global steel industry achieving is emissions reductions targets, according to Christopher Lilholm, head of global key account at Norwegian risk management business DNV.

There are more signs emerging of the green steel evolution in Asia, even as steelmakers seek to differentiate themselves with green certifications to edge ahead of competitors, market sources have told Fastmarkets.

Fastmarkets is launching a green long steel differential to its weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar) import, cfr Singapore, as well as a weekly inferred green steel base price for rebar cfr Singapore.

European steelmakers are committed to the decarbonization of the industry and are shifting to more environmentally friendly ways of working, despite the recent economic downturn making it more challenging to charge a premium for “green” steel, sources told Fastmarkets.

China is working ways to boost the national carbon trading market liquidity by including more industrial firms from the steel, cement and electrolytic aluminum sectors to participate, as well as restarting the voluntary greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction trading, sources told Fastmarkets.

The Chilean Ministry of Economy released a strengthening plan to reverse — in the short and medium term — the reduction in jobs and the decline in industrial infrastructure and steel production due to the closure of the country's largest steel mill, Compañía Siderúrgica Huachipato, which officially ceased operations on Monday September 16.