Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
May 12, 2014
I am getting excited by the progress we are making on our September Steel Summit conference. I have been talking to as many manufacturing companies, service centers, steel mills and trading companies as we strive to put on an exceptional program with quality speakers who will provide valuable content. Easy to say, not so easy to do. But, I think we are well on our way. I have advised previously that one of our dynamic duos will be Ms. Timna Tanners of Bank of America Merrill Lynch and John Anton of IHS Global Insight. It is rare that the two of them agree on their price and market forecasts. I will be interested to see if 2014 is any different. The dates to mark on your calendar are: September 3 & 4, 2014 – destination: Atlanta, Georgia.
Today just seems to be import day as the news cycle is hitting foreign steel. We are staying on top of the subject and it is one we will also try to cover in our conference in September.
I want to take a moment to welcome our newest members and I want to remind them that we try to be an accessible and responsive company. If you have any questions, suggestions, ideas or articles you would like to share with us we can be reached at: info@SteelMarketUpdate.com or by phone: 800-432-3475.
As always I want to take a moment to thank all of our customers for your business which is truly appreciated by all of us here at Steel Market Update.
John Packard, Publisher
John Packard
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Final Thoughts
President Donald Trump on Sunday hammered Colombia with 25% tariffs and threatened to increase them to 50%. Trump in a post on Truth Social said he took the action not because of a trade dispute but because the South American nation had refused to accept planes carrying deported immigrants. The president also cited "national security" concerns, just as he did to justify 25% Section 232 tariffs on steel in his first term. Even the 50% threat echoes his first term. Turkish steel, like that of most nations, was assessed a 25% tariff in March 2018. Trump doubled Turkey's tariff to 50% via a tweet in August of that year over a matter unrelated to steel.
Final Thoughts
We surveyed many of you this week and asked what you wanted to see from the new Trump administration. Responses were varied but fell largely into three groups: tariffs and trade policy, the Nippon-U.S. Steel deal, and those who are concerned about too much government sway in steel. Some also expressed hope that President Trump would continue the infrastructure spending that began under former President Biden.
Final Thoughts
Sometimes new presidential administrations hit the ground running. No time for change like the present. And sometimes new administrations blast off on a SpaceX rocket bound for Mars. There’s a big universe, and we’ve got a lot of flags to plant. Such seems to be the case with the new Trump administration.
Final Thoughts
What’s been the impact of tariff threats on prices and demand? In short, not much – or at least that was the case when I was writing this column on Sunday afternoon. Spot activity for Canadian material, for example, has been put on hold over the last few weeks while the market waits to see what the new tariff landscape might look like.
Final Thoughts
Next Monday marks the start of the second Trump administration. The limbo we’ve been living in since Election Day in early November will finally come to an end. What better way to take a look at what’s coming up in Washington, D.C., than a conversation with Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA) President Philip K. Bell. He […]