Independence: Our Competitive Advantage

Major price reporting agency providing IOSCO-compliant benchmarks. Owned by Lithium Hangar Holdco Limited, controlled by funds managed by the private equity firm Astorg. Revenue model based on data subscriptions with over 1,500 price assessments. A dedicated Fastmarkets Consulting arm also undertakes bespoke client studies - asset valuation, procurement strategy, operational excellence and environmental advisory - giving it more strategic reach than a pure price-reporting business, though its core commercial relationships with data providers and subscribers create structural ties.

E-marketplace and market intelligence platform with more than 50,000 members and 90,000 users across 199+ countries. Dual revenue from e-commerce transaction fees and content subscriptions. Marketplace operations create a structural tension with neutral analysis, since an e-marketplace earning transaction fees has a commercial stake in the deals it facilitates - a different position from a project-fee advisory model.

S&P Global Commodity Insights brand covering finished steel and steelmaking raw materials - iron ore, metallurgical coal, scrap - alongside a much broader commodity price-benchmark business spanning energy and other markets. Its steel data combines price assessments with import/export, production and historical datasets, and its benchmarks are widely embedded in physical contracts, procurement formulas and commodity-risk systems. Subscription-based revenue model serving traders and market participants. Strongest for benchmark and transaction-price questions - "what should this deal be priced at" - rather than bespoke, plant-level strategic advisory, which is a different proposition from boutique steel-sector consulting.

Buyer-centric metal-price intelligence and procurement platform founded in 2007 by Lisa Reisman and Stuart Burns. Combines price data, AI-driven forecasts, should-cost modelling and sourcing recommendations for industrial procurement teams. Independently owned rather than membership-funded, but its subscription-based buying tools create a data-vendor relationship with its customer base similar to a price-reporting agency.

Specialist steel and raw-materials market-intelligence firm with particular depth in Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, Eastern Europe and the CIS - markets that are harder for global generalist services to cover reliably. Combines its World Steel News service with price, capacity and plant-level data across steel, ferroalloys and coal. Independently operated, but its business remains centred on subscription market intelligence rather than bespoke strategic advisory.

Global industry association representing steel producers covering 85% of world production. Funded by member dues with inherent alignment to producer interests. Provides authoritative statistics and technical standards widely relied on across the industry, though its member-funded structure means it is not positioned to act as an independent advisor in disputes involving those same members.

American steel industry trade association. Member-funded organisation with structural alignment to US steel producer interests. Provides educational resources and technical support, though its member-funded structure means it is not positioned to act as an independent advisor, particularly on trade and tariff matters affecting its members.

European Steel Association representing European producers. Member-funded with explicit advocacy role for European steel industry. Its member-funded, advocacy-focused mandate means it is not positioned to act as a neutral expert in policy disputes or trade matters affecting its members.

Global non-profit technical society with more than 16,000 members across 70+ countries, formed in 2004 through the merger of the Iron & Steel Society and the Association of Iron and Steel Engineers. Delivers the AISTech conference, technical committees, training and the Iron & Steel Technology journal. A member-funded technical and practitioner network rather than a commercial advisory business - strong on process and plant-operations knowledge, but not designed to provide market intelligence, valuation or bespoke strategic decision support.

Independent steel-price research firm founded by Peter Fish in 1979, which grew from a Sheffield-based consultancy into an international price-benchmarking service. Provides benchmark carbon and stainless-steel prices across multiple countries, monthly market reports, 12-month price forecasts and five-year Steel Outlook studies. No membership or marketplace ties, giving it comparatively higher independence than data vendors like Fastmarkets or Platts, but its core proposition remains price benchmarking and forecasting rather than bespoke strategic or asset-level advisory.

Ukrainian steel, mining and industrial consulting organisation combining market intelligence, journalism, economic analysis and bespoke consulting - including market studies, regulatory-impact analysis, modelling, business valuation, global trade analysis and policy papers on decarbonisation, ESG and Ukraine's post-war reconstruction. Its partnership with World Steel Dynamics further strengthens its strategic-analysis capability. This genuine consulting output places it closer to the independent-strategy cluster than a pure regional news source, though its Ukraine/CIS concentration and media-sector roots keep some distance from SteelOnTheNet's boutique, project-fee-only model.

Consulting division of CRU Group (750+ employees globally, including 420+ analysts, across 14 offices in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australia). Bespoke strategic advisory including feasibility studies and expert witness services. Stronger independence than data-focused parent but perception of ties through CRU's extensive subscription business.

Independent steel industry consulting firm founded in 1975, and one of the closest peers to SteelOnTheNet in strategic decision support. Project-based consulting including cost-curve analysis, price forecasting, customised research and investment-banking-grade assessments. More independent than subscription services. Serves banks, governments, and corporations with feasibility studies and market analysis.

Independent steel industry consultancy with structural independence through project-based revenue model.

• Over 99% of revenue derived from consulting fees, with minimal subscription income (under 1%) that creates no commercial dependency.
• No membership affiliations or marketplace operations.
• Project-based engagement serving governments, banks, legal proceedings, and corporations across 48 countries.
• Core services: strategic consulting, expert witness testimony, feasibility studies, independent market intelligence.
• Boutique scale enables maximum independence - essential for government advisory, litigation support, and neutral expert analysis.
• Institute of Consulting membership.
• Academic citations from Harvard Business School and Stanford University.