Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
November 15, 2017
I have a feeling if I were to write a long drawn-out final thoughts article that our readers would shoot me… I think we have 16 articles in tonight’s newsletter – many of them top-line articles (price increases, MSCI data, Sentiment, Lead Times, Negotiations, Section 232, etc.). What you don’t know is we actually moved five articles out of this newsletter to Sunday evening’s issue…
By the way, if there are any SBQ buyers out there, give me a call (or shoot me an email). Just trying to help out another SBQ end user who asked me a question I couldn’t answer (and I always try to answer questions when asked). You can reach me at 800-432-3475 or at John@SteelMarketUpdate.com
Quick note about next week’s publishing schedule. We will publish a larger than normal newsletter on Sunday evening…. Then we publish as normal on Tuesday. Thursday is Thanksgiving in the United States and I have to give my exceptional employees the day off (and as much of the weekend as possible). Since we will be publishing a thicker than normal newsletter this Sunday we will publish a thinner than normal one on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
While I am talking about Holidays. One of the issues with having motivated employees is they don’t take a lot of time off. So, I fixed them and insisted that everyone take off the week between Christmas and New Year’s. For the first time since I started Steel Market Update I am going to leave the country for 12 days at that same time. Don’t worry, I am still a workaholic and I have made arrangements to make sure I have internet and my phone works while traveling (at least when we are near land with cell towers). If something happens I will cover it…
If you started reading from the top and you finally got to here – well, thank you for plowing through tonight’s issue.
And, as always, your business is truly appreciated by all of us here at Steel Market Update – tell your steel friends about us…
John Packard, Publisher

John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Final Thoughts

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).

Final Thoughts
A look at how SMU survey respondents are reacting to President Trump's recent actions on tariffs.

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.