Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
January 11, 2019
I heard from one of my trading contacts who lives inside of China over the weekend. He had attended an economic lecture, the topic of which has been banned in China. China’s economy is a mess. I will have more on the Chinese economy and what it might mean for North America in the coming days.
The U.S. government is still partially shut down. This means no import data, TSA employees are beginning to call in sick (they are not being paid), food is not being inspected. Amazing that our government has become so dysfunctional.
The Jan. 29-30 Steel 101 workshop, which will be held in Starkville, Miss., and will tour the SDI Columbus steel mill and paint line, is close to being sold out. You can find more information about this workshop on our website: www.SteelMarketUpdate.com/Events/Steel101 or you are welcome to contact me at John@SteelMarketUpdate.com
A number of companies reached out to me late last week asking for speakers for their internal or supplier events. I will try to accommodate those needs where possible. I am also speaking to CRU about having some of their resources involved, as well. If you have an interest in obtaining a speaker, please contact me.
Note our SMU Steel Summit 2019 banner. Registration is open.
I was interviewed by National Public Radio (NPR) on Friday regarding the steel fence proposed by President Trump. I do not yet know when it will air.
I will be in my office all week. Please feel free to reach out to me should you have any questions, remarks or suggestions. As noted above, I can be reached at John@SteelMarketUpdate.com or by phone at 800-432-3475.
As always, your business is truly appreciated by all of us here at Steel Market Update.
John Packard, President & CEO
John Packard
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Final Thoughts
It’s once again A Tale of Two Cities in the steel market. Some are almost euphoric about Trump’s victory. Others, some rather bearish, are more focused on the day-to-day market between now and Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.
Final Thoughts
One of the perhaps unintentional perks of being a trade journalist is the opportunity to travel and cover an array of industry conferences and events. Some I've attended have been at fun locations, like Palm Springs and Tampa, Fla. Others have been in more practical locations, like SMU’s Steel Summit in Atlanta and American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA) meetings in Washington, D.C.
Final Thoughts
t this point in the game I think what we can say about Nippon Steel’s proposed buy of Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel is that it will go through, it won’t go through, or the outcome will be something new and completely unexpected. Then again, I’m probably still missing a few options.
Final Thoughts
President-elect Donald Trump continues to send shockwaves through the political establishment (again). And steel markets and ferrous scrap markets continue to be, well, anything but shocking. As the French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr wrote in 1849, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." (I thought the quote might have been Yankees catcher Yogi Berra in 1949. Google taught me something new today.)
Final Thoughts
President-elect Donald Trump will officially retake the White House on Jan. 20. I’ve been getting questions about how his administration’s policies might reshape the steel industry and domestic manufacturing. I covered the tumult and norm busting of Trump's first term: Section 232, Section 301, USMCA - and that's just on the trade policy side of things. It's safe to say that we'll have no shortage of news in 2025 when it comes to trade and tariffs.