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The world molybdenum concentrate market is dominated by South America

The global trades of molybdenum concentrate investigation

Molybdenum concentrate is used as a raw material in various industries including steel and alloying, and it is particularly used in the production of alloys required by the aviation industry, as well as iron casting, including steel sheet, rebar, and steel pipes.

Chile with the help of 31% share in export of molybdenum concentrate in 2021, turned to the largest molybdenum in the whole world which Japan and South Korea are this country’s key export destination. And the largest importer of molybdenum is china with 14% share of the global imports and Chile is its main imported origin.

April 9, 2023 Copper

Zero carbon emissions by 2050 is on the agenda of aluminum producers

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

Countries around the world have made an agreement to reduce GHG emissions in order to prevent global warming. In this agreement, the goal is to reduce GHG emissions without threatening food industry, in which achieving zero carbon emissions by 2050O is one of the main plans.

The highest amount of carbon emissions in the aluminum industry is related to electricity, power plants mainly use fossil fuels, which cause significant carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Rio Tinto’s aluminum sector released about 21.9Mt of carbon in 2021, down around 1% compared to the company’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2018. Alcoa’s carbon emission decreased by 23.9% in 2021 compared to 2015. Norsk Hydro recorded about 11.3Mt of carbon emissions in 2018.

March 5, 2023 Aluminum

The competition of the biggest world’s wire rod producers; Japan defeated Korea

The world’s wire rod market

During the last 10 years, China has promoted its position in the world’s wire rod market and it could increase its own share to 48%. Even so, the high speed of economic growth made more development of China’s share in the global wire rod demands.

China, India, Japan, and South Korea are 4 countries that are considered to be the most important semi-fabricated copper producers that during the last 10 years, on average, have produced near to 55% of the world’s wire rod. Meanwhile, China and India’s shares increased, while the other 2 countries lost their share in this market.

February 24, 2023 Copper

China is the world leader in trade and production of cold rolled steel coil

China's cold rolled steel coil market

As the largest steel producer in the world, China plays the most important role in the global steel products market. China’s CRC production has increased from about 25.620.000 tonnes in 2012 to 45.110.000 tonnes in 2021.

China’s cold rolled steel coil exports have increased from 4.210.000 tonnes in 2012 to about 8.150.000 tonnes in 2021. China’s average import of CRC during these years was equal to 3.200.000 tonnes. China’s CRC imports decreased from 3.950.000 tonnes in 2012 to 2.880.000 tonnes in 2021. China’s CRC market is growing due to the growth of industries in this country.

January 3, 2023 Steel Flats

The downward trend of carbon emissions from primary aluminum from 2012 to 2021

A high share of coal in energy consumption

Carbon emissions per tonne of primary aluminum production have been decreasing from 2012 to 2021. After Paris Agreement in 2015, carbon emissions decreased by about 6.4% compared to last year. One of the reasons of this deduction in aluminum sector is the use of modern technology.

The largest share of carbon emission in the primary aluminum production process is allocated to electricity. The share of electricity in this process was about 64.5% in 2021. And the reason for this large share is used of sources like coal which emits significantly greenhouse gases.

December 16, 2022 Aluminum

The spark of chemical fertilizer, flame in China

Investigating the production and price of chemicals fertilizer in China

Chemical fertilizer produced in three general categories: nitrate, phosphate, and potash. In 1860, Germany as the first chemical fertilizer producer on an industrial scale started the operating by building a unit where produced phosphate chemical fertilizer from urea phosphate and its production’s reached to 175 million tonnes.

China is known as the largest producer and one of the biggest chemical fertilizer consumers in the whole world that its production’s amount had been about 54 million tonnes and its average price range of urea is estimated about 2.5 thousand Yuan per tonne in this country.

November 27, 2022 Fertilizers

Chile’s position in the global copper cathode trade is weakening

The global copper cathode trade

Chile has maintained its first position in the global market of copper upstream product, such as copper cathodes over the past 10 years, and has accounted for a share of 30%. But despite the greater prosperity of the copper trade, the global growth rate of Chile’s export share decreased.

Chile, Japan, and Russia are among the main copper cathode exporters in the world. These 3 countries accounted for about 43% of these upstream copper products in the global total export market on average, over the past 10 years.

November 16, 2022 Copper

China the lead crude steel producer from the past until now

Global crude steel production

The average global production of crude steel was around 1 billion 742 million tonne from 2012 to 2021. Global crude steel production reached 1 billion and 953 million tonne in 2021, up by 4% y/y.

China, India and Japan were among the global largest producers of crude steel in 2021. China took 53% of the global total share of crude steel production in 2020, with over 1 billion and 33 million tonnes. Crude steel is produced by two methods: melting in blast furnace (BOF) and steel production in oxygen converters and direct reduction of iron ore and direct reduced iron (DRI) in electric furnaces. China has produced over 90% of its crude steel through blast furnaces (BOF).

October 21, 2022 Crude Steel

The impression of Russia and Ukraine’s war on the alumina trade

The global alumina trade

Alumina is a result of bauxite refining, and it’s consumed as the raw material for aluminum production. Alumina’s transportation cost is lower than bauxite transportation and has more economic efficiency, leading to the aluminum producer countries providing their requirement as the alumina and because of that this material is traded with a high volume in the world.

The presence of the biggest bauxite deposits in Brazil and Australia turned these two countries into the largest alumina exporters in the world. However, the import of alumina isn’t exclusive and many countries are its importer in the world, but the largest exporter destinations for it are Russia, Canada, and China. This coming year won’t be stunning for the global alumina trade because of the expensive energy in Europe due to the war between Ukraine and Russia, consequently the reduction in alumina production in the world and stopping the export of this material from Ukraine to Russia lead to the drop in its trade and makes an unclear future for this trade.

October 9, 2022 Aluminum

The downward trend of mineral production and the significant growth of gold consumption in China

The top producers and consumers of gold in the world

Investment security and high profit margins have always attracted governments and public to gold trade. The high profit margin of gold production makes countries that have gold reserves seek to continue and increase production. Central banks are considered to be the main gold consumers as a financial support and people use it with the purpose of investment and ornamental.

The production and consumption of gold has increased y/y in 2021, which caused by the drop of pandemic disruption. China will continue to be the largest gold producer and consumer in the world in 2021. Overall, the production volume of mineral gold has increased by 3% y/y in 2021, and the consumption volume has increased significantly by 47%.

September 7, 2022 Precious Metals

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