Steel
Overview
The price indices in our Argus Ferrous Markets and Argus Global Steel services are widely used by companies in physical supply contracts around the world – for iron ore, coking coal, hot-rolled coil (HRC) and ferrous scrap.
Many of them are used as the settlement prices for cash-settled futures contracts launched by exchanges to allow users of the derivatives who also transact in the physical market to minimize basis risk while hedging. These cash-settled monthly futures contracts are settled against the arithmetic mean of all the published Argus prices during each calendar month.
Using indices allows companies to trade material on an index-linked basis, not only via fixed-prices sales. This offers significant advantages when prices are volatile, yet the modern finished steel market remains primarily transacted on a fixed price basis. The addition of futures markets offers opportunities to enhance supply chain resilience further.
Latest steel news
India extends coke import curbs till 31 Dec
India extends coke import curbs till 31 Dec
Mumbai, 1 July (Argus) — India has extended quantitative restrictions (QR) on Low Ash Metallurgical Coke (LAM Coke) imports for another six months, from 1 July to 31 December 2025. The Directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) issued the notification on 30 June, keeping country-wise quotas unchanged. The total volume stands at 1.42mn t, mirroring the previous six months. Australia, Russia, and Indonesia retain the bulk of the total allocation. Imported coking coal prices have been on a steady downward trajectory since the start of the year. Despite a spate of mining incidents from Australia minor in April, the support in spot prices was deemed momentary with China staying out of the spot market, while seasonal monsoon lulls in India weighed heavily on coking coal procurement. The metallurgical coal premium hard low-volatile cfr east coast India price started at $212.85/t cfr India on 2 January this year, and fell as low as $181/t year-to-date on 21 March and was assessed at $189.45/t cfr on 30 June, marking a $23.4/t cfr drop from the start of the year. The country has also ramped up on protectionist measures in the second quarter of this year, following mounting concerns of a potential dumping of Chinese steel products into India amid an already-saturated global steel complex. In late April, India imposed a 12pc safeguard duty on steel imports in a bid to protect its domestic steel industry. The safeguard duty would be in place for 200 days, in addition to the QR restrictions that has went into effect since 1 January this year. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Higher stocks could weigh on Brazil steel prices
Higher stocks could weigh on Brazil steel prices
Sao Paulo, 30 June (Argus) — Above-average inventory levels will likely keep steel prices in Brazil under pressure in the coming months, steel distributors' association Inda said. Steel inventories reached 1.07mn metric tonnes (t) in May, up by 17pc from a year earlier, Inda said last week. The volume represents 3.3 months of available inventory, above the historical average of 2.9 months, which could fuel buyers' leverage to negotiate discounts in their favor. Hot-rolled products account for 685,000t of the stock, a 22pc increase from a year prior. Argus -assessed hot-rolled coil (HRC) cfr Brazil prices dropped to $507-525/t on 25 June, down from $520-540/t in early June. HRC import prices have fallen by nearly 5pc year-to-date. Buyers have been holding off on new purchases in the past three weeks, waiting to see if demand stays strong enough to bring down stock levels. Sluggish demand has driven domestic mills to regularly offer discounts on spot transactions since April. The ex-works Brazil HRC price remained flat at R3,800–4,000/t last week because of slow trade. Higher financing costs also threaten to reduce demand further in a market that relies heavily on credit. Brazil's central bank increased interest rates to 15pc on 18 June, the highest level in 20 years. Increased interest rates tend to weaken sales in the construction, automotive and household appliance sectors, eroding domestic steel demand. Imports threaten domestic upside Rising imports and falling international prices are also pressuring domestic prices. Import levels could hit another record in 2025 despite the government's recent renewal of its 25pc quota-tariff system on steel, distributors said. Imports reached an all-time high of 5.9mn t last year, with 70pc originating from China, according to industry chamber Instituto Aco Brasil . Quota volumes for 2025-2026 period are tighter and include more products, triggering the 25pc tariff for an additional 300,000t of steel from volumes set for the 2024-2025 cycle]. Still, many steel distributors and service centers have been paying the 25pc tariff because import price discounts offset the higher duties, Inda president Carlos Loureiro said. Flat steel imports surged to 418,000t in May, up by 71pc year-over-year, Inda said. The association import figures include heavy plates, HRC, cold-rolled coil, hot-dipped galvanized, electro-galvanized, pre-painted and galvalume sheets. Additional imports are about to enter the market after customs workers paused a strike in early June, after six months of import and export paperwork delays. The strike to demand a 28pc salary raise contributed to a build-up of cargoes stuck at Brazilian ports. At least 350,000t of various grades of steel coils were waiting to dock and unload at Brazilian ports by the last week of June, tracking data shows. Sales outlook optimistic Inda estimates a 4pc rise in June sales volumes from May, despite current higher inventories levels and declining prices. The forecast takes into account historical June trends and early feedback from Inda's members on how sales began this month. Flat products sales reached 329,000t in May, up by 4pc from a year earlier, when Inda's members sold 315,600t. Purchases exceeded sales by 10,000t, further inflating inventory levels. Total purchases climbed to 339,500t last month, 8pc higher than 314,300t recorded in May 2024. But some import traders disagree with the Inda's forecast, saying that demand remains weak and is unlikely to rise in the coming weeks. By Isabel Filgueiras Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Japan’s Marubeni boosts stakes in Australian coal mines
Japan’s Marubeni boosts stakes in Australian coal mines
Tokyo, 30 June (Argus) — Japanese trading house Marubeni has increased its stakes in two Australian coal mine projects to bolster coal supply for steelmaking, the company said today. Marubeni purchased an additional 4.7pc interest each in the Jellinbah East and Lake Vermont steelmaking coal mine projects from Queensland-based investment firm Zashvin. The transaction brings Marubeni's total interest in each project to 43pc and 38pc, respectively, it said. The expanded investment will boost Marubeni's overall equity coking coal output by 700,000 t/yr, bringing its total output to 6.7mn t/yr, a company representative told Argus. The company declined to disclose the breakdown by project. Marubeni will supply coking coal offtakes from the two mines to Japan, India and the domestic Australian market. It will adjust delivery volumes based on regional demand, the representative said. By Yusuke Maekawa Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Australia’s MinRes sells Yilgarn Hub iron ore complex
Australia’s MinRes sells Yilgarn Hub iron ore complex
Sydney, 30 June (Argus) — Australian metals producer Mineral Resources (MinRes) has sold its 8mn wet metric tonnes (wmt)/yr Yilgarn Hub iron ore complex to private company Yilgarn Iron Investments (YII), after shuttering the project at the end of 2024. The sale price is confidential and immaterial, MinRes said on 30 June. The deal involves YII taking full ownership of the project, including all fixed assets, licences, and tenements. The company has also agreed to take on all environmental and mine closure responsibilities. MinRes maintains gold and lithium rights in Yilgarn Hub despite the ownership change. The company sold Yilgarn Hub to YII because it was the buyer most likely to restart production at the complex, MinRes said. MinRes closed Yilgarn Hub at the end of 2024 because it was no longer financially viable, the company said in June 2024. It redeployed about 800 workers from the mine to other projects. Yilgarn Hub ran at a delivered cost of A$139/wmt ($91/wmt) in July-December 2023. Argus ' iron ore fines 62pc Fe (ICX) cfr Qingdao was last assessed at $93.30/dry metric tonne (dmt) on 27 June. MinRes has focused on ramping up production at its 35mn wmt/yr Onslow mine since the start of 2025. But weather and road safety challenges have limited production growth at the site. The company cut its Onslow production guidance for the 2024-25 financial year to 30 June from 8.5mn-8.7mn wmt to 7.8mn-8mn wmt in late May. By Avinash Govind Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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