Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
August 26, 2016
I had dinner with trade attorney Lewis Leibowitz this evening (Sunday). We discussed his presentation which will begin at 3:30 PM in Salon E at the Atlanta Airport Gateway Hotel.
During dinner we spoke about the history of the steel industry and how the United States, after World War II intentionally helped build those countries destroyed by war into new consumers of steel and other goods. The U.S. at that time understood that when countries are competing for business they tend to not start wars.
Quick notes for those attending our Steel Summit Conference this week:
Getting to Hotel/Convention Center: From the airport take the train that goes to Rental Cars and Gateway Hotels/GICC. The train is located just outside the terminal closest to baggage claim. The train cars are black (silver and orange trains are MARTA trains and go downtown) and are free. If you are coming by car the convention center is located off of Camp Creek Parkway close to the airport and I-85.
Monday: Pick up registration/badges materials starting at 2:00 PM in the lobby of the Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway Hotel. First presentation begins on Monday afternoon at 3:30 PM in Salon E at the Marriott.
Dress Code: Business casual – we recommend company logo attire as it promotes interaction and networking.
Monday Evening: Informal networking at the lobby lounge in the Marriott hotel. In your registration packet will be a free drink coupon courtesy of Tennessee Steel Haulers. Come join a few hundred of your steel friends…
Tuesday: Registration will begin at 7 AM in the south lobby of the Georgia International Convention Center located right next to the Marriott Hotel (and across the street from the SpringHill Suites Hotel. We will have light pastries and coffee/tea in the lobby. If you are a breakfast fan you may want to eat at the hotel prior to coming over to the convention center. The conference will begin at 8 AM sharp. The event is sold out so you will need to find seats early.
Tuesday evening: At the end of the presentations there will be a networking/cocktail party sponsored by Steel Dynamics which should end by 6:30 PM.
Tuesday evening dinner is on your own. We recommend restaurants in the downtown, Midtown and Buckhead areas of Atlanta. Ecco, South City Kitchen, Chops, Bones. Lure, The Fish Market and Buckhead Diner are all great choices and will require reservations. You don’t need a car when here. You can take a cab, Uber or the train from the airport into downtown.
Both Tuesday and Wednesday: Please try to stay for the entire program as we have two special topics and speakers at the end of each day.
If you have questions the SMU staff will be easy to spot during the conference…
Enjoy your stay in Atlanta and enjoy the conference.
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
That’s not to say Section 232 shouldn’t be tightened up. Or that certain trade practices – even among our traditional allies – weren’t problematic. But when it comes to the reboot of Section 232, I do wonder whether there will be some unintended consequences.
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.