Why vacillating tariff decisions will lead to price surges, but the fundamentals will prevail in the US steel market

The US aluminium market faces growing instability as ongoing tariff adjustments take a toll on cross-border trade with Canada. This article examines how uncertain policies are driving pricing risks, creating volatility in premiums, and forcing industry players to pause transactions.

President Trump has threatened to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium to 50%, potentially escalating tensions in US-Canada trade relations. If implemented, this move could have significant economic consequences and may prompt retaliatory actions from Canada. The article examines the potential implications of this tariff hike and its impact on the steel and aluminium industries, as well as the broader trade dynamics between the two nations.

Trump’s steel tariffs aim to boost the US steel industry by taxing imported steel and encouraging domestic production. The goal is to make U.S. steel more competitive globally while addressing national security and trade concerns. However, the tariffs have caused international tension, reshaping trade ties and raising questions about costs for U.S. businesses relying on steel imports.

US President Donald Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday March 4 contained key strategic policy objectives that will have a direct impact on global metals markets. Fastmarkets takes a high-level view of the key strategies below: “They tariff us…we will tariff them.” The Trump administration will introduce reciprocal tariffs on all countries that levy duties […]

Tariffs on steel and aluminum will raise US car prices, increase production costs, and squeeze profit margins. Smaller car companies may struggle to compete, while retaliatory actions could disrupt the global auto market, reshaping manufacturing and trade industry-wide.

Trump’s tariffs on Canadian and Mexican metals have introduced significant instability to the U.S. metals sector. The 25% tariffs, coupled with retaliatory measures from Canada and Mexico, have fuelled price volatility, supply chain disruptions, and operational uncertainty across multiple industries. These trade policies are reshaping global market dynamics as stakeholders brace for long-term impacts on steel, aluminium, copper, and other metal commodities.

Pallet prices in the US market held steady this month amid uncertainty on how proposed tariffs under the Trump administration would play out. The tariffs, if sustained, could significantly worsen inflation, threatening the trust that many voters placed in Trump to lower prices. While the immediate effects on the US pallet system are limited, a […]

Securing essential resources: Tackling supply chain challenges with strategic solutions and global alliances

More than one week after US President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports, the aluminium markets in Mexico, Argentina and Brazil are still worried about the consequences and ongoing uncertainty around the potential implications for global trade flows, sources told Fastmarkets.