Category: Pulse

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.

We understand that Michigan legislators have reintroduced legislation to dramatically raise fees for disposal of solid waste. These fees, called “tipping fees” were amongst the lowest in the U.S. at just $0.36 per short ton. The proposed legislation would raise them to $5.00 per short ton and would be subject to reassessment every five years.

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.

Starting June 2, the U.S. Treasury’s CDFI Fund is putting a pause on new applications for Community Development Entity (CDE) certification. They’re calling it a blackout period. It’s temporary, for now, but it’s something to watch, especially if you’re in construction or metals.

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.

The company noted improvements in North American scrap margins, but the details demand a closer read.

Sortation technology is often puzzle where the end goal determines the methods employed, making it hard to gauge what companies are capable of going beyond standard processing.

Aluminum producer Norsk Hydro and automotive casting manufacturer Nemak agreement focuses on expanding the use of post-consumer scrap and shifting to lower-carbon energy sources.