ReMA Staff Provide Important Presence at Fastmarkets Circular Steel Summit

ReMA staff Emily Sanchez, ReMA's Chief Economist, and Adam Shaffer, ReMA's Vice President of International Trade and Global Affairs, attended and participated in the 2026 Fastmarkets Circular Steel Summit held in Houston, TX from January 27-29.

The Fastmarkets Circular Steel Summit brings together the steel and recycled materials sectors to discuss tariffs, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade flows, electric arc furnace (EAF) demand, recyclable materials, auto and construction outlooks, metallics supply, recycling technologies, and raw material strategy. The event is designed for mills, recyclers, traders, OEMs, construction firms, policymakers, metallics producers, service providers, and investors.

Shaffer spoke during the Fire Side Chat "How is the Market Responding to Trade Policy?" on Wednesday, January 28 along with Amy Hinton, North American Scrap Editor at Fastmarkets. The panel discussed U.S. trade policy and the implications for the steel and recycled materials sectors.

The main focus of the discussion was on the impact of tariffs on U.S. recyclers and the outlook for trade and tariff policy in 2026. The upcoming joint review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) was also a key topic, as well as how recyclers are handling the uncertainty around trade policy developments.

Sanchez presented a presentation during the summit titled "Macro Economic Forecast Outlook" on Wednesday, January 28. The high-level economic lens on the next year covered a variety of topics including the North American and global growth outlook: key GDP and industrial activity trends across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and major trading partners.

The presentation explored trade policy and geopolitical shifts, explaining how tariffs and USMCA pressures will shape the market; and economy-wide cost drivers that include: inflation, labor availability, energy costs, and transportation constraints impacting competitiveness.