At UK Metals Expo, MEPS will host discussions on the steel market and present pricing analysis to visitors at stand B16.
Following successful panel discussions at previous UK Metals Expo events, the steel price analytics company will hold discussions this year on the UK carbon steel and stainless steel markets. The exhibition will take place on November 4–5 at the NEC Birmingham exhibition centre.
MEPS staff will also show visitors the new MEPS 360 online steel market analytics portal. The platform’s upcoming launch was announced in the October edition of the MEPS Speaking of Steel podcast, which focused on the forthcoming exhibition. MEPS 360 will bring together steel prices, price indices, market reviews and price forecasts for the next 12 months. They will all be available on a single online platform.
MEPS Managing Director Jane Craven said:
“In recent years, UK Metals Expo has become a regular fixture in the MEPS calendar. We are looking forward to this year’s exhibition: we have plenty to share with visitors. MEPS analytics will soon be more accessible than ever.”
Craven added:
“The UK steel market is going through a challenging period, but the exhibition always provides an excellent forum for industry participants to discuss the issues and gain a better understanding of the situation. Our researchers, analysts and forecasters know how to draw on MEPS data and clearly show the factors affecting steel markets around the world. That makes the exhibition an ideal place to share our findings.”
Participants in the MEPS discussions will include representatives from Tata Steel UK, 7 Steel UK, UK Steel, the International Steel Trade Association (ISTA), Langley Alloys and Stainless Steel Services. The carbon steel market discussion will take place on Wednesday, November 4, in Theatre 4 from 12:00 to 13:00. The stainless steel market discussion will be held in the same venue on Thursday, November 5, from 11:30 to 12:20.
MEPS Head of Price Analysis and Forecasting Kaye Ayoub, who will moderate both discussions, expects key topics to include the UK’s new measures to protect the domestic market and the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (UK CBAM), which is due to be introduced.
Stainless steel discussion participant Rodney Rice, managing director of Langley Alloys, said in a recent episode of the Speaking of Steel podcast that these factors have already had a significant impact on his business.
“For a company operating in the UK and sourcing most of its products from Europe, where the steel industry is also subject to safeguard measures, and with a facility in the US, where Section 232 has long been in place, it’s a triple whammy,” he said.
“It’s challenging to navigate the different quotas and tariffs as we move metal around Europe and back. Three-quarters of our sales are exports, and doing business is extremely difficult at the moment. It used to be relatively straightforward.”
‘A pivotal period’ for the UK steel industry
Former UK Steel CEO Gareth Stace will also take part in the MEPS discussions at UK Metals Expo. Ahead of the exhibition, he described the current period for the UK steel market as “challenging but pivotal.”
He added:
“For UK steelmakers, the biggest challenges remain competitiveness, particularly the cost of energy, trade distortions and weak domestic demand.
With the right government policies, UK steel can play an important role in delivering infrastructure, defence, energy projects and the transition to net zero, supporting sustainable growth and investment. However, these opportunities and support must extend across the entire steel supply chain.”
Another MEPS discussion participant at UK Metals Expo, Steel & Alloy Gonvarri Industries Managing Director Paul Whitehouse, believes trade protection measures will not resolve the current problems facing the UK steel industry. He said the government should “reduce energy costs and encourage investment in manufacturing.” He also noted that “businesses further down the metal supply chain need to be better represented at government level.”
The MEPS stand at UK Metals Expo will be number B16. Visitors wishing to arrange a meeting with a steel market analyst in advance or book a demonstration of the new MEPS 360 portal can contact the company.
