European steelmakers are cautiously optimistic following a series of recent developments that may mark the beginning of a de-escalation in global trade tensions.

For over 30 years, the European Union has touted the vision of a seamless “single market”—a space where goods, services, capital, and people can move freely.

According to the International Nickel Study Group (INSG), the world will see a nickel surplus of almost 200,000 tonnes for the third year in a row.

Nickel prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) saw a notable increase on Monday, rising by approximately 2%. Spot market prices also saw a rise of up to 2.1%.

The UK steel industry is urging the government to clarify when the recently announced removal of US steel tariffs will take effect, following last week’s trade agreement with the United States

Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and competitive pressure from imports, leading European stainless steel producers Acerinox and Outokumpu delivered solid performance in the first quarter of 2025.

In March, Turkey exported 185,661 metric tons of wire rod—an increase of 289.7% from February and 35.6% higher than the same month last year.

Inflation in the eurozone remained unexpectedly stubborn in April, holding steady at 2.2% rather than falling as markets had anticipated.

Hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices in the United States fell toward the end of April, with producer offers dropping from $975/metric ton to $952/metric ton ex-works (EXW) between April 11 and April 25.

On April 9, U.S. President Donald Trump initiated a 90-day pause on the implementation of "reciprocal" tariffs. This move was initially attributed to ongoing efforts to negotiate trade agreements with 75 countries that had reportedly approached the White House.

China’s stainless steel exports saw a solid increase in the first quarter of 2025, rising 15.47% year-on-year to 1.2259 million metric tons (mt), according to data released by Chinese customs authorities.

In 2024, global energy-related carbon emissions surged by 0.8% year-on-year, reaching a record-breaking 37.8 gigatonnes (Gt), according to a recent report by the International Energy Agency (IEA).