Welcome to Arian Holding's daily commodity briefing. The week opens with a split screen: seaborne iron ore has firmed on supply risk even as Chinese rebar slips back on widening mill losses; copper is off its highs but physically tight; and the surprise mover is fertiliser — urea has jumped roughly 18% over the past month. Below is a concise read on where key industrial materials are heading today, with practical takeaways for buyers. For specifications, grades and quotations, each section links through to the relevant product catalogue page.
Today at a glance
| Commodity | Direction | Read | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron ore & steel | Mixed | Seaborne ore firmer near ~US$102-103/t on supply risk; rebar back below ~CNY 3,060 on mill losses | Steel Products |
| Copper | Tight, off highs | LME cash near ~US$13,300/t; exchange stocks down ~18% in five weeks | Non-Ferrous |
| Aluminium & zinc | Stabilising | Aluminium settling around ~US$3,160/t after last month's correction; zinc steady | Non-Ferrous |
| Industrial minerals | Stable | Barite, gypsum & aggregates tracking steady GCC infrastructure demand | Minerals |
| Petrochemicals | Firmer | Urea up ~18% m/m to ~US$424/t; Chinese bitumen up ~14% y/y on paving season | Petrochemicals |
| Polymers (PE/PP/PVC) | Soft | PE and PP still digesting double-digit monthly declines; cautious converter buying | Polymers |
Steel & iron ore
Ferrous opens the week pulling in two directions. Seaborne iron ore has recovered to around US$102-103 per tonne CFR, up close to 4% since end-June, supported by supply-disruption risk and a reported 15% monthly rise in Chinese import volumes. Onshore, however, the picture is heavier: Dalian-linked ore slipped below CNY 760 per tonne to start the week as heavy rain in southern China and extreme heat in the north disrupt construction, and SHFE rebar has retreated back below CNY 3,060 per tonne — giving back its mid-July bounce — as widening losses at Chinese mills harden expectations of further production cuts. For buyers outside China, mill cutbacks tend to tighten export availability of certified grades over time, so forward programmes are worth protecting now. See current grades and standards on our Steel Products and Semi-Finished Steel pages, both part of our Industrial Products & Commodities sector.
Copper & non-ferrous
Copper has cooled from its early-summer peak — LME cash is trading near US$13,300 per tonne, roughly 4-5% below early-June levels — but the physical market is anything but loose. LME stocks have drawn down about 18% in five weeks to around 319,000 tonnes, Chilean output fell nearly 13% year-on-year in May, and the US Commerce Department has recommended staggered Section 232 copper duties (15% from January 2027, rising to 30% in 2028), a policy overhang that keeps pulling metal toward US warehouses. Aluminium is stabilising around US$3,160 per tonne after last month's sharp correction, and zinc is steady. For buyers of cathodes, billets, ingots and wire rod, the message is to treat copper dips as covering opportunities rather than the start of a trend. Explore specifications on our Non-Ferrous Metals catalogue.
Industrial minerals
Industrial minerals — barite, bentonite, gypsum, aggregates and cement clinker — remain steady, underpinned by infrastructure and construction programmes across the GCC and wider region; China's warehousing index returning to expansion in June also points to firmer bulk-commodity storage demand as projects advance. Availability is reliable through our quarry and partner network, backed by lab certification and the logistics strength described in our Supply Chain & Logistics capability. Browse grades on the Industrial Minerals page, part of our Mining, Minerals & Natural Stone sector.
Petrochemicals
Petrochemicals are this week's firming story. Urea has climbed to around US$424 per tonne, up nearly 18% over the past month — reversing early-July softness as seasonal fertiliser demand and tighter export availability bite — though prices remain slightly below year-ago levels. Bitumen in China rose to about CNY 4,185 per tonne late last week, up around 2% on the month and almost 14% year-on-year as paving season demand builds. Methanol and base oils are comparatively quiet. Contract buyers who deferred urea cover in June are now paying up; on bitumen, locking cargoes ahead of peak paving months remains the prudent play. See available products — urea, sulphur, bitumen grades, base oils and methanol — on our Petrochemicals & Chemicals page.
Plastics & polymers
Polymers remain the soft corner of the complex. Chinese polyethylene entered July around CNY 6,900 per tonne after an 11% monthly slide, with polypropylene near CNY 7,200 following an even steeper 15% drop, and PVC stays pressured by weak construction offtake. Converters across Asia are holding to need-to buying, and July is shaping up sideways-to-soft with selective restocking rebounds rather than a broad recovery. For buyers of HDPE, LDPE, PP and PVC, that keeps negotiating leverage firmly on the purchasing side — a good window to trial alternative grades and lock volume discounts. View resin and film options on our Plastics & Polymers page.
What this means for buyers
The week's playbook: protect forward steel programmes before Chinese production cuts tighten export supply, buy copper dips selectively against a physically tight backdrop, accept that the cheap urea window has closed and cover pragmatically, and press advantage in polymers while converter demand stays weak. Arian Holding's global sourcing and quality-assurance teams can structure compliant, multi-grade supply across all of the above. Request a quote and our trade desk will respond with current, firm pricing for your specifications.
Sources: Trading Economics (iron ore, steel rebar, aluminium, urea, bitumen); GMK Center / IndexBox; SteelOrbis; Westmetall; London Metal Exchange; ChemOrbis; Kanetora resin market update. Figures are indicative market levels around July 20, 2026 and are provided for general information, not as trading or investment advice.