全球矿业研究 | 从钢铁到白银，今年矿业板块的结构性机会在哪里？

Group 1: Steel Industry Outlook - The steel industry's mid-cycle outlook faces challenges due to weak demand and tariff barriers, with companies like Tata Steel, Nucor, and Steel Dynamics expected to maintain relative premium due to favorable demand prospects and tariff protections [3][5] - Chinese steel companies are anticipated to improve profitability due to demand recovery and production cuts, with a year-on-year demand growth of 4.3% driven mainly by the automotive and machinery sectors, while exports grew by 9.2% [5][6] - North American steel producers have an optimistic outlook despite uncertainties from tariff policy changes and infrastructure investment delays, with a projected 3% decline in steel demand in 2024 followed by a 2% rebound in 2025 [12][14] Group 2: Copper Industry Insights - U.S. copper tariffs aim to encourage supply repatriation, but limited smelting capacity and slow approval processes hinder this goal, leading to continued reliance on imports [7][8] - Freeport-McMoRan is expected to benefit from increased sales, as U.S. refined copper production in 2024 is projected at 850,000 tons, meeting less than half of the demand [7][8] Group 3: Silver Market Dynamics - Silver is expected to be revalued further, driven by strong industrial demand, with the gold-silver ratio potentially moving from 90 to 80 as macroeconomic factors shift [10][11]