Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
January 15, 2016
SMU will begin our mid-January flat rolled steel market analysis beginning at 8 AM on Monday. If you receive an invitation to participate, please take a few moments to click on the link (button) which will take you to SurveyMonkey.com where our questionnaire is housed. Premium level members, as well as those who participate in the process, will receive the results of our analysis in the form of a Power Point on Friday afternoon of this week.
I will be traveling for a portion of this week as we are conducting one of our Steel 101 workshops in Starkville, Mississippi and we will tour the SDI Columbus steel mill as part of our workshop. We will have more workshops later this year for those interested.
Also, we can conduct special training workshops customized for your company using segments of our Steel 101, Managing Price Risk, Sales Training or other programs. If you would like to learn more about custom programs you are welcome to contact me at: John@SteelMarketUpdate.com or by phone at 800-432-3475.
Registration is still available for our upcoming Leadership Summit Conference which includes the strongest program we have ever put together. You can find details on our website: www.SteelMarketUpdate.com or you are welcome to contact me with any questions you might have: John@SteelMarketUpdate.com or 770-596-6268 (cell).
As always your business is truly appreciated by all of us here at Steel Market Update.
John Packard, Publisher

John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts
As February comes to a close this week, the scrap markets are poised for another – and perhaps more extreme – move upward in March. March is usually a month when scrap prices relent as winter’s impediments subside. That’s not the case this year. And this time, the driver of prices will be increased demand from mills along with restricted flows over the last two months.

Final Thoughts
The US steel market has whipsawed upward on the prospect of expanded Section 232 tariffs of 25% being applied to imported steel - including downstream goods - on March 12. It seems pretty clear that domestic steel mills have the ear of the Trump administration when it comes to Section 232. The result? The much-anticipated Trump bump has finally arrived - and then some.

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 […]

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.

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).