# Metal products: Chokepoints and risks

Fabricators making castings, forgings, tubes, fasteners and cans from steel and metals

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/metal_products/risks/

#### Chokepoints and risks

- Steel concentration: China made about 961 Mt of the 1,849 Mt of crude steel in 2025, so its exports and trade remedies swing prices worldwide^[1](https://worldsteel.org/media/press-releases/2026/december-2025-crude-steel-production-2025-global-crude-steel-production/).
- Alloying elements such as chromium, nickel and molybdenum come from a handful of countries.
- Fragmentation: about 85% of India's foundries are small-scale, limiting automation and export quality^[2](https://themachinemaker.com/show-reports/indias-foundry-industry-to-reach-usd-42-5-bn-by-2029-bharat-foundry-360-insight2025-2047-report/).
- Carbon border taxes such as the EU CBAM raise costs for coal-based steel and the parts made from it.
- Cyclical demand from vehicles and construction drives sharp swings in utilisation.

## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/metal_products/index.md)
- [Where ₹100 goes](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/metal_products/cost-mix/index.md)
- [Price links with suppliers](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/metal_products/price-links/index.md)
- [Example story](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/metal_products/story/index.md)
- [Value chain](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/metal_products/value-chain/index.md)
- [Materials drawn on](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/metal_products/materials/index.md)
- [Sources](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/metal_products/sources/index.md)