Steel Products
Imports Up in January but Below 2012 Levels
Written by John Packard
March 4, 2013
Falls Church, VA, March 1, 2013 – Steel imports increased 4.6 percent in January 2013 compared to December 2012 according to preliminary government data. “Import levels improved in January in a normal seasonal rebound from end of the year declines as many consumers and distributors delay purchases to January due to inventory tax costs at the end of December. On the other hand, imports remained almost 8.4 percent below January 2012, reflecting the lower levels of demand as a result of uncertainty at the time these imports are ordered caused by concerns related to the then looming fiscal cliff. The normal first quarter seasonal improvement in demand has apparently delayed as a result,” said David Phelps, president AIIS.
Total Steel imports in January 2013 were 2.579 million tons compared to 2.466 million tons in December 2012, a 4.6 percent increase, and an 8.4 percent decrease compared to January 2012. The data show that imported semifinished products decreased by 2.8 percent in January 2013 compared to January 2012, from 487 thousand tons in 2012 to 473 thousand tons in 2013, based on preliminary reporting. (Source: American Institute for International Steel)
John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Steel Products
Nucor’s weekly HR spot price unchanged, again
Nucor’s consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled (HR) coil remains unchanged for another week – now on an 11-week streak. Nucor’s HR coil CSP, still at $750 per short ton (st), has been at that level since Nov. 12. The spot price for HR from Nucor’s joint-venture subsidiary California Steel Industries (CSI) is also flat […]
Price gap between domestic, offshore CRC narrows
The price spread between US-produced cold-rolled (CR) coil and offshore products tightened in the week ended Jan. 17. Domestic CR coil tags were lower week on week (w/w), while offshore products ticked higher. The result? The US premium over imports shrank. In our market check on Tuesday, Jan. 14, US CR coil prices averaged $895 […]
US HR price premium over imports narrows slightly
Hot-rolled (HR) coil prices ticked down in the US last week, while tags abroad varied. The result: US hot band margin over imports on a landed basis has narrowed to a slight extent. SMU’s average domestic HR price last week was $685 per short ton (st), down $5/st from the week before. US hot band […]
SMU Community Chat: Jan. 22 with Alan Kestenbaum, founder of Bedrock Industries
Alan Kestenbaum, the founder of Bedrock Industries and the former CEO of Stelco, will be the featured speaker on the next SMU Community Chat. The webinar will be on Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 11 am ET. It’s free to attend. You can register here. We’ll look at Stelco’s recent sale to Cleveland-Cliffs and what made […]
December service center shipments and inventories report
Flat rolled = 77.1 shipping days of supply Plate = 58.1 shipping days of supply Flat rolled Flat-rolled steel supply at US service centers ballooned in December with higher inventories as well as seasonally lower shipments. At the end of December, service centers carried 77.1 shipping days of flat-rolled steel supply on an adjusted basis, […]