The Administration was eager to announce its first major trade deal on Thursday May 8. Unfortunately, the media probably gave more airtime to the news that Robert Prevost was the first American elected Pope in the Roman Catholic Church. Timing is everything…. but still the deal had important symbolism.
Week in Review: May 8, 2025
The new trade deal between the U.S. and the United Kingdom (UK) is being called historic, and for good reason. It gives American producers better access to UK markets and puts a hard quota on British car exports. But for metals and recycling, the bigger story may be the creation of what officials are calling a new union for steel and aluminum.
For domestic automotive manufacturers, first quarter earnings results defined by a familiar theme: suspended guidance and constant references to “tariff uncertainty”.
With tariffs back on the table, aluminum companies are feeling the squeeze. While most attention has focused on cost hikes and policy shifts, some critical tools are still in play. Foreign trade zones (FTZ) and in-bond warehousing may not offer the same levers they once did, but they still give companies a way to manage risk, improve flexibility, and stay competitive - especially if you're handling LME-grade primary aluminum or shifting toward recycled inputs.
Mexico is moving ahead with plans to expand its Pacific port of Manzanillo despite some seemingly big headwinds.
CRU just took a red pen to its global economic forecast and they didn’t hold back. They’re calling this the biggest monthly downgrade since the pandemic, and tariffs are at the center of it.
With earnings season largely behind us it’s time to move past the headline numbers and into the filings – where a few key items across major downstream players deserve closer scrutiny.
The purpose of the tapered tariff reduction is to allow time to readjust supply lines or onshore manufacturing to the U.S., a phaseout that incentivizes shifts in components production.
April's survey paints a picture of a market holding steady, but it's far from smooth sailing.