13 March 2026 – The US government has launched two major Section 301 investigations concerning excess production capacity and forced labor. Asian base metals remained broadly stable compared with the previous week, while nickel, copper, and aluminium recorded gains.
Asian Base Metals Move in a Stable Sideways Trend
Asian base metals traded relatively stable on Friday and in some cases even posted gains compared with the previous week.
Zinc and lead moved sideways, while tin prices declined by 1.9%. By contrast, nickel and copper prices increased by 1.3% week-on-week, and aluminium rose by approximately 2.6% over the same period.
Section 301 Tariffs: US Launches Two Investigations
The Office of the United States Trade Representative has initiated two major Section 301 investigations.
The first investigation targets “Structural Excess Capacity and Production in Manufacturing Sectors” in the European Union and 15 additional countries.
The second investigation targets ‘Failures to Take Action on Forced Labour’ in a total of 59 countries and the EU.
Section 301: No Details Yet on Affected Goods
At present, there are no confirmed details regarding which specific goods or services could be affected by potential new tariffs. In theory, Section 301 could allow additional tariffs to be imposed on any goods already subject to tariffs or other trade measures. Section 301 proceedings can take 12 to 18 months. We will inform you as soon as we have further information.
Latest news
- EU Steel Quotas: Is the Commission Delaying Negotiations?
- Von der Leyen: Phasing Out Nuclear Power Was a Strategic Mistake
- Global Steel and Stainless Steel Demand Is Growing
We at the Gerber Group have been trading in stainless steel worldwide for over 20 years. We are your experts when it comes to purchasing, import, logistics and services. Information is a vital part of this. Because only then can you and we make the right decisions. Do you have any questions? Contact us now.
Disclaimer: Many things here represent our opinion. Others are information from the Internet. We can therefore never claim to be correct or complete. And never base a business decision solely on the news you receive from us.
