Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
June 21, 2019
We are starting to receive nominations for the 1st SMU NexGen Leadership Award. We will accept nominations through Aug. 1. Remember, we are looking for those amongst you who have been innovative, creative problem solvers, perhaps creating new systems or leading through troubled times. There are an unlimited number of reasons to nominate one of your 35-year-old or younger employees. If you have any questions, or would like something clarified, please do not hesitate to reach out to me personally: John@SteelMarketUpdate.com
If you would like more information, go to: www.SMUAward.com or you can also find information on our website at www.SteelMarketUpdate.com/Events/Steel-Summit
The next Steel 101: Introduction to Steel Making and Market Fundamentals workshop will be held on Oct. 8-9, 2019, and we will tour the Nucor Gallatin steel mill as part of the workshop. This is our first trip to Nucor Gallatin, which will have the newest coating line in the United States in operation when we tour the facility. We are working on finalizing hotel details and anticipate we will be able to begin taking registrations later this week. There is information about our Steel 101 workshop online at www.SteelMarketUpdate.com/Events/Steel101 or you can ask us at Events@SteelMarketUpdate.com
We are closing in on 750 registrations for the 2019 SMU Steel Summit Conference. There is a new listing of attending companies on our website. If your company is not there, you can register by clicking on this link or you can contact Events@SteelMarketUpdate.com. If you are unsure if you are registered, please contact Events@SteelMarketUpdate.com.
I will be in my office all this week.
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.