The US stainless steel round bar market delivered a mixed performance in July, as cost pressures competed with uneven demand. Early-month buying remained cautious, but sentiment shifted following a major Asian mill's price hike announcement for August contracts, driven by sustained raw material inflation and resilient offtake from semiconductor and energy sectors. Despite this signal, US spot activity stayed restrained due to summer manufacturing lulls. The semiconductor segment remained a consistent bright spot for stainless steel round bar consumption. In June, prices had softened amid easing alloy inputs and subdued automotive and construction demand. Looking ahead, the stainless steel round bar market outlook remains cautiously bullish, supported by firm surcharges and industrial demand, though nickel volatility and macroeconomic pressures pose ongoing risks to stainless steel round bar stability.
Selenis has effectively manufactured recycled PET chips using terephthalic acid sourced from Circ®, a textile-to-textile recycler based in Virginia. The chip production took place through a series of batches at Selenis' pilot plant in San-Giorgio, Italy. By utilizing inputs recovered from polycotton textile waste, Selenis has created high-quality PET chip, which has been further processed into DTY yarn. This yarn will play a crucial role in product development as Circ prepares for additional capsule launches. Selenis is leveraging the success of this initial collaboration phase and is committed to advancing towards an offtake partnership to support Circ's inaugural industrial facility.
Eduardo Santos, Head of Corporate Strategy at Selenis, remarked that the monomer synthesis showed a performance comparable to virgin terephthalic acid. He expressed optimism about the consistent quality of Circ's monomer output and anticipated future commercial success. Santos pointed out that the Circ partnership complements Selenis's existing mission and goals for a more sustainable textile industry. He further stated their anticipation of expanding upon this collaboration and providing support for Circ's forthcoming commercial production trials.
