Steel Markets
Canada Housing Permits Muted
Written by Sandy Williams
June 7, 2014
Building permit values in Canada rose 1.1 percent to $6.0 billion in April following two months of decline. Building intentions for the residential sector offset the decline in nonresidential.
Commercial sector permit values fell 14.8 percent to $1.3 billion in April. The decline followed a 0.3 percent gain the previous month and put commercial permit values at the lowest level since March 2013.
Authorized permits for residential dwellings in April totaled 15,416, a 3.2 percent decline from the previous month. Multifamily permits declined by 6 percent to 9,641 units while single-family authorizations rose 2 percent to 5, 775 units.
From January to April 2014 63,851 units were authorized, compared to 64,147 in the same period in 2013. Multifamily units accounted for 63 percent of residential permit authorizations in the first four months of this year.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation expects housing starts to range between 172,300 and 189,900 units in 2014 and 160,600 to 203,600 units in 2015.
Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Steel Markets
US importers face stricter rules under revamped S232 tariffs
“CBP expects full compliance from the trade community for accurate reporting and payment of the additional duties. CBP will take enforcement action on non-compliance," the agency said in a March 7 bulletin.
Steel exports rebound in January
US steel exports recovered to a five-month high in January after having fallen to a two-year low in December. This growth follows four consecutive months of declining exports.
Construction spending drops marginally in January
Construction spending edged down slightly in January, slipping for the first time in four months. The US Census Bureau estimated spending at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2,196 billion in January, down 0.2% from December’s downward revised rate. The January figure is 3.3% higher than a year ago. January’s result, despite the slight erosion, […]
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.