Final Thoughts
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Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
January 3, 2014
We are finally back to a full “normal” week and we should be able to gather much better market intelligence as we begin our next flat rolled market analysis with our survey invitations going out at 8 AM ET on Monday morning. Most buyers should be back in their offices on Monday so we anticipate we will be busy talking to the steel community to see where prices, demand, lead times and other import market trends are headed.
This week is also a good time to contact us regarding any interest you, or your company, may have in sending one or more of your people to our next Steel 101: Introduction to Steelmaking and Market Fundamentals workshop in Mobile, Alabama on February 4 & 5, 2014. The workshop will include a tour of the SSAB plate and hot rolled mini-mill located just outside of Mobile. Full details can be found on our website in the Events section or just click on the link provided here.
For those of you who have just returned from an extended Holiday – welcome back and Happy New Year.
As always we want to take a moment to thank our members as both your business and your kind words and recommendations to others regarding SMU are greatly appreciated by all of us here at Steel Market Update.
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John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Final Thoughts
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Final Thoughts
Some of you have told me that the current market feels about as crazy as early 2021 when demand snapped back after the initial outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Others have said it might be more like late February/early March 2022, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine – and, in the process, caused […]
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Final Thoughts
To say we’ve entered a “Brave New World” since Jan. 20 might be an exaggeration, but we’ve definitely entered a different one.
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Final Thoughts
I think it’s fair to say that the last few weeks – and last week especially – have been among the most intense for any of us covering steel (or aluminum).
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Final Thoughts
A look at how SMU survey respondents are reacting to President Trump's recent actions on tariffs.
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Final Thoughts
A lot of the changes basically entail rolling back what I’ll call, for fun, Section 232 Lite. S232 Lite resulted from watering down what I’ll call OG S232 – the one first imposed in March 2018 - with exemptions and exclusions over the years. Now, OG Section 232, is back with its across-the-board 25% tariffs against everyone.