Base Metals shows a collective decline
Across the board on Monday, base metals saw a decline which is a reflection of weak stock markets in Asia whilst also suggesting a revival from the dollar. In Asia, the Shanghai Composite was last dow...
Shanghai remains the number 1 container port
The port of Shanghai has further increased its lead over second placed Singapore, to remain the world’s busiest container port, according to statistics compiled by the Journal of Commerce. Singapore, ...
Why is Chinese Steel so prevalent in the US presidential debates?
Two consecutive debates between Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump, the two presidential nominees, have now seen the topic of Chinese steel crop up. It can be viewed as quite surprising that the nominees...
HS2 railway gets the green light!
Despite considerable opposition to the idea, the British government has announced they will be going ahead with plans to build the highly anticipated High-speed 2 (HS2) railway in full. The line is es...
Got a spare $111 million lying around? Buy a nuclear power plant!
A business tycoon from the US has recently made history, he became the first ever individual to purchase a nuclear power station. Franklin J. Haney, whom has made his fortune through being an innovati...
How Copper May Prevent the Spread of Ebola
The Ebola virus is a serious and deadly disease transmitted by animals and humans. These virus cause hemorrhagic fever or profuse bleeding inside and outside the body, accompanied by a very high fever...
Sculptures That You Need To Look At Twice
We have seen the famous ones; the statue of liberty, the thinking man, Christ the Redeemer. But, these artists have though outside the box with their creations – take a look: The Caring Hand by Eva Oe...
More Consistency is needed within the global construction industry
As the world’s leaders tightening their public spending and the demand of investment grows, the construction industry is finding out more and more the need for global consistency. Hence the reason con...
SHFE: What is it?
Metals are not all factories and buildings. A whole financial market behind them has developed in the past centuries all over the world. Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) is a clear example and one of ...
China-Africa: the New Alliance for International Cooperation
In the past decade, economic and political relations among China and African countries have tightened. This is due to a remarkable increase in Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) from China to Africa, w...
Aluminium: the Latest Choice for Medical Instruments
In sectors like healthcare, advancements in technology are an extremely important aspect. Progresses in metal industry also contributed to the improvement of such sector, always ensuring safety and hy...
The Rust Belt: history, decline and future
The State of Indiana, north-east USA, is home of some of the largest American steel mills. Indiana is part of the Rust Belt, a region south of the Great Lakes, once thriving – now afflicted by u...
London Metal Exchange: Origins and Functioning
London Metal Exchange is one of the major trading centers of industrial metals in the world. LME’s origins can be traced back to the early 19th century. During this period, businessmen in the m...
US Tariffs: legal aspects and future expectations
On March 8, 2018 Donald Trump signed an order to introduce new tariffs on imports. Since that date, taxes on steel imports are 25% while taxes on aluminum are as high as 10%. The legal basis of the or...
China-Africa: the New Alliance for International Cooperation
In the past decade, economic and political relations among China and African countries have tightened. This is due to a remarkable increase in Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) from China to Africa, w...
China-Indonesia challenge over stainless steel production
China is currently the world’s largest steel producer. Yet, it is not the only one. Other countries also export the said alloy and China itself imports some. In 2017, it imported 703,000 tons –a 200% ...
The Use of Copper Increases in Electronics
Copper is one of the oldest metals in the world. Today, it is used in one of the most innovative markets: electronics. Copper is the third-most-consumed metal in the world and three-quarters of its co...
China’s Steel Industry Development
In the city of Anshan, a war memorial located in Lieshishan Park commemorates the conquest of the city by the People Liberation’s Army in 1948. It was from this city that the incredible expansion of C...
Is a UK – China Trade Golden Era approaching?
After Theresa May’s visit in China earlier this year, it was recently the turn of the newly appointed British Foreign Minister to held a visit in Beijing on July 30th 2018。 In February, Mrs. May...
A Brief History of Containerization
The first successful container ship, the Ideal X, sailed on 26 March 1956 from Port Newark to Houston. The vessel, previously a World War II oil tanker, had been acquired by an ingenious entrepreneur ...
Geodesic Domes: the Future of Constructions?
Geodesic Domes were developed in the 20th century by the engineer and architect R. Buckminster Fuller. They are spherical buildings made up of arrangements of polygons -known as geodesics- linked toge...
How China’s One Belt One Road Initiative will Change the Steel Market
China’s One Belt and Road Initiative is the colossal project aiming at recreating the ancient Silk Road, once essential for trade between Europe and Asia. BRI is fundamentally an infrast...
Why is Stainless Steel good for Cutlery?
Although we now take cutlery for granted, it actually took a long time to be developed. The world waited until the 1970s for cutlery to be made out of stainless steel. Yet, what was the deal before th...
A Breakthrough Technology in the Aluminum Market
Aluminum is used to create different products: drinks cans, airplanes parts, automobiles, laptops and mobile phones, etc. Its production process did not change much in the last two centuries, a...
China Leading Solar Industry Expansion
Since 2007, China has been dominating the solar market in both manufacturing and installations. The country has installed a capacity of around 130 GW -beating both the U.S. and Japan. Suitable technol...
Golden Gate Bridge: an Exceptional piece of Steel Engineering
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most iconic bridges in the world. It is a so-called suspension bridge: the deck is supported by vertical cables attached to upper larger cables, which ...
Container Homes for Hong Kong’s Social Housing
Shipping container homes became popular thanks to the ‘tiny home’ and ‘minimalist living’ trend in the US. Yet, such living arrangements may not only result from trends. In Hong Kong, containers may r...
Surrounded by Steel
Steel’s versatility has been hardly beaten by any other metal so far. Thanks to its adaptable composition, malleability and low-cost, steel is a metal that shows little chances of being downgraded. It...
Steel ：the Metal of Economic Development？
Modern Steel industry can be dated back to 1850s. Since then, a new easier way of manufacturing steel was possible. The UK was the main steel worldwide supplier for most of the 19th century. Yet, by t...
Stainless Steel Tanks: a Must in Winemaking
Wine making today is just as much as an art as it was in the past. Yet, even in such a tradition-rooted industry, wine makers always strive for new technologies in order to increase the quality of the...
Basics about Steel
Since the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, Steel has played a primary role in economic development. The metal is still widely used today for many purposes thanks to its characteristics. Stee...
News from the Aluminium Market
Aluminium was just discovered in the 19th century, difficulties existed in refining aluminium from ore –alumina. The industry expanded thanks to developments in chemistry and it now drives the world t...
Aluminium Leading Contemporary Architecture
As many financial districts shows, tall glass buildings are the fashion of contemporary architecture. Yet, is it just a trend? Indeed it isn’t. The shiny look of these ‘glass towers’ is act...
Steel Merger in Europe
Senior City sources said the deal – which has been under negotiation for more than a year – could be concluded in the next few days. It will see Tata Steel’s UK plants merged into a ...
Why did the Statue of Liberty turn green?!
Copper can be seen in some of the most unlikely places, one of them being the famed Statue of Liberty! The Statue itself, a symbol of Democracy given to America by France in 1885, who was fighting for...
Aluminium safeguarding Hygiene and Sustainability of Food Packaging
Aluminium is the most common metal in our everyday life! It makes up for 8% of the Earth crust and it is widely used for a variety of purposes: constructions, aircrafts, bikes and even food packaging....