Quarterly Battery Materials market update – July 2024

13/01/26

Vietnam's ferrous scrap imports rise in 2025

Shanghai, 13 January (Argus) — Vietnam's ferrous scrap imports surged to a more than four-year high in December, supported by active year-end restocking demand. The country imported 684,000t of ferrous scrap in December, up by 59pc from November and by 14pc year on year, Vietnam Customs data show. Scrap imports totalled 6.25mn t in 2025, marking a 27pc increase from 2024 and only slightly below the levels recorded in 2020-21. Japanese material continued to dominate Vietnam's scrap imports, accounting for more than half of total arrivals. Vietnamese mills imported 3.3mn t of scrap from Japan in 2025, up by 26pc from the previous year. Japanese sellers are expected to continue prioritising the Vietnamese market, supported by the country's expanding steelmaking capacity and construction demand. Imports from the US rose sharply on the year, increasing by 56pc to 788,000t. The growth was partly driven by a low base in the previous year, as well as mid-year buying of deep-sea bulk scrap by some Vietnamese mills. Demand for containerised US scrap also increased, given that smaller mills favoured flexible, smaller-lot cargoes to bridge gaps in domestic supply. Scrap imports from Singapore tripled on the year to 239,000t, reflecting Vietnamese mills' efforts to diversify supply sources in order to manage purchasing costs and ensure supply stability. Hong Kong was the only major supplier to record a year-on-year decline in 2025, with imports falling by 33pc on the year to 374,000t. Ferrous scrap exports from Hong Kong retreated during the year, as exporters diverted more volumes to Bangladesh and India, where prices were more workable. Vietnamese mills' scrap consumption is expected to grow further in 2026. Vietnam's economy maintained strong momentum in 2025 despite pressure from US tariffs, with GDP expanding by 8pc. Continued government investment in infrastructure and public housing, rising industrial activity, and sustained inflows of foreign investment will provide further support for steel production and scrap demand in 2026. Vietnam ferrous scrap imports t Dec '25 m-o-m ± % y-o-y ± % Jan-Dec '25 y-o-y ± % Japan 327,892 61 -8.5 3,295,631 26.3 US 98,725 139.5 109.4 788,146 55.6 Australia 64,942 140.5 96.3 369,525 8.7 Hong Kong 46,470 158.1 13.3 374,373 -32.7 Others 145,825 4.2 19 1,426,781 52.9 Total 683,854 59.1 13.6 6,254,456 26.5 Source: Vietnam Customs Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Australia’s Abbot Point coal port to start post-cyclone

Australia’s Abbot Point coal port to start post-cyclone

Sydney, 12 January (Argus) — The Abbot Point coal port in northern Queensland — Australia's main coking coal-producing region — will resume normal operations on 13 January, following a week of weather-related disruptions. The coal export hub was undamaged by Tropical Cyclone Koji, an Abbot Point Operations spokesperson told Argus on 12 January. Cyclone Koji made landfall in Queensland on 11 January, flooding parts of the state. It hovered off the Australian coast over the previous week, limiting vessel movements. Panamanian-flagged NSU Newstar is scheduled to depart Abbot Point on 14 January, data from Maritime Safety Queensland show. No ships have left the port since 8 January, when the Japanese-flagged Double Delight departed with 46,033t of coal, data from marine tracker Kpler show. Most vessels at Abbot Point's anchorages left on 10 January before returning on 11 January, Maritime Safety Queensland data indicate. Abbot Point Port is the smallest of Queensland's three northern coal ports. It handled 31mn t of coal in January-November 2025, accounting for about 27pc of the region's coal shipments. Queensland's larger northern ports have also faced disruptions over the last week. The Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal stopped berthing vessels on 6 January because of weather issues and has yet to resume operations. Weather-related disruptions haver also affected Queensland's rail and road links over the past week. The Mount Isa rail line — which primarily supports fertiliser, copper, and zinc movements — remains closed because of flood damage, Queensland Rail told Argus . By Avinash Govind Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Floods disrupt Australian Cu, fertiliser exports

Floods disrupt Australian Cu, fertiliser exports

Sydney, 12 January (Argus) — Severe flooding in Queensland has crippled key transport routes, halting copper, zinc, and fertiliser exports from one of Australia's major mining hubs. Australia's Mount Isa rail line — which supports the transport of fertiliser, copper, and zinc — remains closed due to weather-related damaged following multiple floods in late December and January. Water levels along the line are slowly receding, and major recovery works are underway, Queensland Rail told Argus on 12 January. The operator first closed parts of the Mount Isa line on 29 December because of heavy rainfall. Weather-related road and rail disruptions have impacted global producer Glencore's ability to move copper concentrate to its Mount Isa smelter by road and rail, a spokesperson told Argus . The Mount Isa line has faced disruptions before. Three locomotives and a wagon carrying copper and zinc from Glencore's Mount Isa operations derailed on 5 December 2025, triggering a three-day shutdown. Queensland Rail also closed the line for 11 days in February 2025 due to severe flood-related damage following weeks of heavy rain. By Avinash Govind Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Mexico’s auto output up, exports down in Dec

Mexico’s auto output up, exports down in Dec

Mexico City, 9 January (Argus) — Mexico's light-vehicle production rebounded in December after several months of declines, while exports continued to weaken on trade uncertainty. Automakers produced 243,961 light vehicles in Mexico in December, an 8.5pc increase from the same month in 2024, statistics agency Inegi reported on 9 January. This follows an 8.4pc decline in November and marks the first month to show annual expansion since July, coming in a year marked by trade uncertainty with the US placing blanket 25pc tariffs on Mexican goods in March. Mexico's auto output reached 3.95mn in 2025, only 0.9pc below the 3.99mn produced in 2024 — the highest level for any year on record, positioning 2025 output as the second highest, said Mexican automaker association AMIA. Mexico exported 227,262 light vehicles in December, down by 15pc from a year earlier, while full-year 2025 exports fell by 3pc to 3.39mn units from 2024. Still, AMIA noted that 2025 marked the fourth-highest year for exports on record. Domestic light vehicle sales rose by 5pc in December to 154,450 units, Inegi reported. This put full-year sales at 1.52mn — a 1.4pc increase over 2024, making it the third-best year on record for sales, AMIA said. By James Young Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US adds 50,000 jobs in December, revisions shed jobs