German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp expects the global steel market environment to remain challenging in 2019, amid "continuing global overcapacities, ongoing risks from trade uncertainties, [and] sharply rising iron ore prices," the company said on May 14.
Fastmarkets' 62% Fe iron ore index averaged $82.41 per tonne cfr Qingdao over the first quarter of 2019, compared with $74.39 per tonne cfr in the first three months of 2018."The EU carbon flat steel market [was] cyclically weaker in the first three months of 2019; third-country imports [were] again higher at the expense of European suppliers and EU safeguard measures have so far been without a major limiting effect...