Both current and future sentiment among flat rolled steel buyers saw little change in the past two weeks as the market paused to see how the maneuvering on the trade front plays out. In general, buyers’ attitudes remain at optimistic levels but are below year-ago levels, which SMU finds concerning. We are finding a growing […]
Based on the latest SMU Flat Rolled and Plate Steel Market Trends Survey, mill lead times on flat rolled steel remain highly extended, close to the levels measured by Steel Market Update in mid-2016, as mills scramble to fill orders on strong demand. Mill lead times, which are the amount of time it takes for […]
Steel Market Update conducted our early April survey earlier this week. One of the key proprietary products produced is how buyers and sellers of flat rolled represent the mill negotiation position. Are steel mills willing to negotiate spot prices on new orders at this time? Buyers responding to this week’s SMU market trends questionnaire reported […]
Key market indicators tracked by Steel Market Update in March remain very positive, but took a small step back from the all-time highs reported in February. Data released in March shows that 18 of the 36 indicators are historically positive with only 5 negative. The balance is within the band of historically normal. Trends deteriorated […]
Twice per month, once at the beginning of the month and then again in the middle of the month, Steel Market Update conducts an analysis of the trends impacting the flat rolled and plate steel markets. We invite 640 individuals associated with flat rolled and plate steels in purchasing, sales or executive positions at manufacturing, […]
Steel Market Update forecast that flat rolled steel shipments from U.S. service centers would slightly decline from 105,109 tons per day in January to 104,577 tons per day in February. The Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) reported last week that sheet distributors shipped 109,565 tons per day, an increase over January. Our shipment forecast accuracy […]
Service center shipments in February were stronger than the seasonal norm, according to Steel Market Update’s latest analysis of Metals Service Center Institute data. Daily shipments in February were 3.8 percent higher than in January. On average since 2009, February shipments have decreased by 0.4 percent; therefore, these latest numbers were seasonally better than the […]
Both current and future sentiment among flat rolled steel buyers saw a small but positive bump in the past two weeks, perhaps reflecting the announcements and uncertainty from the Trump administration on the steel tariffs that are set to take effect tomorrow, March 23. In general, buyers’ attitudes have bounced up and down within a […]
Mill lead times on flat rolled steel continue to inch out as supplies tighten and the mills scramble to fill orders. One of the key indicators tracked by Steel Market Update, lead times reflect the activity at the mills and the order levels they are seeing from their customers. SMU’s latest data indicates that the […]
With President Trump’s steel tariff set to kick in on Friday, domestic steelmakers remain in a strong pricing position. Buyers responding to this week’s SMU market trends questionnaire reported most mills unwilling to bend much when it comes to steel product prices, except in some cases for large orders. By market segment, 91 percent of […]
Only one out of four respondents to Steel Market Update’s market trends questionnaire this week feel President Trump’s 25 percent tariff on steel imports will have a beneficial effect on their businesses. Most (62 percent) expect it to hurt business in the long term, while the remaining 13 percent predict it will have little effect […]
The market is waiting anxiously to see how the Trump administration’s Section 232 tariff will affect steel imports, and in turn steel prices. The 25 percent tariff takes effect on Friday. If Steel Market Update’s latest sample of reader opinion is any indication, the volume of imports into the United States may not moderate as […]
The competitive position of steel and steel products has improved in the last few months, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data. In the past, we have reported the producer price indexes of steel and some competing products on a quarterly basis. This month, we have revamped and expanded our report to provide subscribers […]
The following analysis of the number of months of supply being held by flat rolled steel distributors is intended for SMU Premium level members. We are sharing this report with all of our readers during the first year of the index, after which it will be available for Premium members only. Shortly after the month […]
Last week, Steel Market Update conducted an analysis of the flat rolled steel market trends. We reached out to 640 individuals representing more than 600 manufacturers, steel service centers and wholesalers, steel mills and toll processors and asked dozens of questions related to flat rolled and plate steel usage. One of the key areas of […]
President Trump’s 25 percent tariff on steel from countries around the world comes at what cost? The trade action by the Trump administration is unpopular among the majority of the executives who responded to Steel Market Update’s market trends questionnaire last week just before the president announced the tariffs, as expected. Nearly seven out of […]
Is steel demand showing signs of weakening? The year got off to a strong start, but changes in the last three Steel Market Update queries hint at a subtle change in steel buyers’ attitudes. A bit over half of the respondents to the last three SMU market trends questionnaires reported demand staying about the same […]
Eight out of 10 respondents to Steel Market Update’s market trends questionnaire last week (just prior to President Trump’s announcement confirming the 25 percent tariff on steel imports) believe tariffs on foreign steel will weaken the steel and manufacturing base in the United States. Following are some reader comments, nearly all opposed to the Trump […]
Imports’ shares of the major steel product markets are all on the decline, reveals a new report on imports from Steel Market Update. The report examines the import share of sheet, plate, long and tubular products and 18 subcategories of these product groups. We think the introduction of this analysis is timely as a way […]
Steel inventories are increasing as the inventory-to-shipment ratio is decreasing—a very healthy trend for the supply chain. To efficiently manage inventory, companies generally want to keep the ratio low. A rise in the inventory-to-shipment ratio indicates that shipments are falling or the operation is keeping too much inventory on hand. Each month, the Census Bureau […]
President Trump’s controversial decision to impose a steep tariff on steel imports has clearly unsettled the market and taken a toll on the attitude of many steel buyers. Both current and future sentiment among flat rolled steel buyers declined significantly in the last two weeks, according to the latest Steel Market Update Steel Buyers Sentiment […]
Mill lead times on flat rolled steel orders continue to extend as supplies tighten and buyers scramble to replenish inventories ahead of the next price increase. One of the key indicators tracked by Steel Market Update, lead times reflect the activity at the mills and the order levels they are seeing from their customers. About […]
With foreign steel offers largely on hold as the market awaits President Trump’s final decision on steel tariffs, domestic steel mills are in a strong bargaining position and are taking full advantage of it. Nine out of 10 steel buyers responding to Steel Market Update’s market trends questionnaire this week say the mills are unwilling […]
Steel Market Update forecast that flat rolled steel shipments from U.S. service centers would rise from 87,805 tons per day in December to 109,083 tons per day in January. The Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) reported last week that sheet distributors shipped 105,109 tons per day. Our shipment forecast accuracy continues to be high, off […]
Key market indicators, and the trends they reveal, are the best they have ever been in Steel Market Update’s analysis. Data released in February shows that 18 of the 36 indicators are historically positive with only six negative. The balance is within the band of historically normal. Trends improved with 32 of the indicators heading […]
Flat rolled steel prices have been on the rise since October. Judging by steel demand, that trend is likely to continue. About 41 percent of all the respondents to last week’s Steel Market Update market trends questionnaire reported improving demand for their products. Another 53 percent said demand remained the same. Only 6 percent felt […]
In 2017, the domestic steel market contracted by 0.5 percent, but domestic shipments were up while imports were down. Table 1 shows 11 years of history of total steel supply to the U.S. market broken down into shipments from domestic mills and imports, excluding semi-finished. The hot rolled steel market totaled 106.4 million tons in […]
President Trump has made no official announcement about his plans for Section 232, leaving the steel market to speculate on last week’s Commerce Department recommendations. The majority of respondents to this week’s Steel Market Update market trends questionnaire are guessing he will come up with his own solution to combat unfair imports. The Commerce recommendations […]
Mill lead times on flat rolled steel orders continue to stretch as buyers replenish inventories in the first quarter. One of the key indicators tracked by Steel Market Update, lead times reflect the activity at the mills and the order levels they are seeing from their customers. About 9 percent of respondents to this week’s […]
Steel prices have been on the rise for the past four months, so it’s no surprise that steel buyers are reporting mills less willing to negotiate. More than 60 percent of respondents to Steel Market Update’s latest market trends questionnaire say mills are holding firm in price negotiations. About 10 percent say they still find […]