Steel Markets
August Auto Sales Reach Pre-Recession Levels
Written by John Packard
September 5, 2013
North American auto sales appeared to be healthy in August. The big five auto makers reported the following sales totals for August:
GM reported a 22 percent increase in retail sales. GM specifically reported that Cadillac was up 38 percent, Buick up 37 percent, GMC up 14 percent, and Chevrolet up 10 percent. GM’s August sales were the highest of 2013 and the highest since September 2008.
Ford also saw its highest sales since 2006. Retail sales for Ford were up 20 percent. Ford Fusion set a new sales record in the western U.S. Ford also experienced a 30 percent jump in the sales of small model cars, led by the Fiesta and C-Max Hybrids.
August marked Chrysler’s 30th consecutive month of 100,000+ sales totals. All in all an 11.5 percent lead over last August. American Honda Motor reported a 26.7 percent gain over last August, thus setting a new record for the auto leader. The actual Honda division reported 149,381 units, an increase of 29.1 percent compared with August 2012, whereas the Acura division reported sales of 17,051, a 9 percent increase over last year.
Toyota saw its best month in five years (since May of 2008). The auto maker experienced a 22.8 percent increase over last year. Toyota claims the number one retail manufacturer and the number two overall brand. Toyota experienced strong growth across all of its models.
All in all, August proved to be a very strong (if not record breaking) month for U.S. auto manufacturers.
John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Steel Markets
HVAC equipment shipments slow in December but strong annually
Shipments of heating and cooling equipment in the US fell to an 11-month low in December, according to the latest data released by the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI).
Apparent steel supply rebounds in December, but 2024 total at 4-year low
Apparent US steel supply rebounded in December, but 2024 was still the lowest level for supply since 2020.
Trump officially orders sweeping 25% tariff on steel, aluminum
The new version of Section 232 goes into effect on 12:01 am ET on March 12, according to the executive order. The latest iteration of Section 232 removed quotas, exemptions, and other carve outs that had accumulated over years.
Tampa Steel Conference: Two weeks to go!
With just two weeks to go, we have over 400 registered so far for the 36th annual Tampa Steel Conference. Join us and hundreds of industry executives at the JW Marriott Tampa Water Street from Sunday, February 2, through Tuesday, February 4.
Galvanized buyers see glimmers of optimism amidst the chaos
Reflecting on 2024 and looking ahead to the new year, galvanized steel buyers on this month’s HARDI call expressed a mix of cautious optimism with lingering uncertainties.