Friedman Industries has reported the most profitable fiscal year in its history as the steel processor and manufacturer posted strong fiscal fourth-quarter results. The Longview, Texas-based company swung to a profit of $6.3 million in its fiscal Q4 2023 ended March 31 vs. a net loss of $7.5 million a year earlier on net sales that […]
As sheet prices continued to decline throughout June, the spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and galvanized coil base prices also shrank further. Recall that at the end of May, the galvanized premium over hot-rolled coil (HRC) averaged $175 per ton. As of this week, that premium had fallen to $150 per ton. Let’s look at […]
US-EU talks on a global arrangement on carbon emissions are back in the news, and the latest is that Europe might have sunk a potential deal with the States, according to reporting from The Financial Times. If no deal is reached, Section 232 tariffs of 25% on steel from the EU could be reinstated. That […]
After failing to reach a new collective labor agreement, port workers on Canada’s West Coast are set to strike as of July 1. Bargaining talks between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU Canada) and the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA), ongoing since February, have now stalled. ILWU Canada workers have continued to […]
China’s recent reopening, coupled with increased government spending on infrastructure, has led Fitch Ratings to upgrade the outlook for the global steel sector from deteriorating to neutral. The New York-based ratings agency revised China’s steel sector outlook to neutral as well, according to a research note sent to SMU. China’s “stronger-than-expected infrastructure growth and a […]
Our HRC price is flat this week, and there is a roughly 50/50 split between those who think the $50-per-ton sheet price hikes announced earlier this month will stick and those who think they won’t. I’m not going to weigh in on which side could be right. But it doesn’t appear to have fazed domestic mills, […]
New orders for manufactured durable goods increased for the third consecutive month in May, increasing 1.7% from the previous month to $288.2 billion, according to the US Census Bureau. This follows a 1.2% month-over-month (MoM) gain in April, according to Census data. Transportation equipment is also up three consecutive months, up 3.9% to $102.6 billion. The bureau said that […]
Next month is expected to bring some stability after months of falling scrap prices, with sources seeing the market as sideways. “The July market expectations are soft sideways,” one scrap source told SMU. “A stable export market combined with reduced inbound scrap flows should halt the recent run of large price drops.” He said that […]
Companies should keep a watchful eye on pricing and lead times, according to members of the Heating, Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) speaking on the June 27 meeting of its Sheet Metal/Air Handling Council. During May’s meeting, most HARDI participants thought that prices would continue to drop. Over half of the individuals thought it […]
The Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act introduced into Congress earlier this month is aimed at modernizing our trade laws for the 21st century, making sure they are strong and enforceable, according to Washington-based law firm Wiley Rein’s Tim Brightbill. Brightbill, partner and co-chair of the firm’s International Trade Practice, recently sat down with SMU to discuss […]
Global crude steel output during the month of May was flat from April but down almost 5% from the same month last year, according to the most recent data from the World Steel Association (worldsteel). Monthly production dipped in China while rising in the rest of the world (RoW). May’s steel production totaled 161.6 million […]
The latest SMU Market Survey results are now available on our website to all Premium members. After logging in at steelmarketupdate.com, visit the Analysis tab and look under the “Survey Results” section for “Latest Survey Results.” Historical survey results are also available in the Survey Results section under “Survey Results History.” If you need help […]
With hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices falling faster than plate pricing, the price spread between the two flat-rolled products moved this week to its highest level since February. The $1,955-per-net-ton all-time high of average HRC prices was reached in September 2021. Prices then turned downward before jumping up again in March and April 2022, affected by […]
The US Department of Energy has awarded 10 projects with a combined $31.9 million in funding to help decarbonize the iron and steel industry. Through its Low Emissions Steel Manufacturing Research Program, the DOE funding will focus on advancements enabling decarbonization in both ore-based and scrap-based steelmaking, it said. Projects that convert existing operations to […]
In a good sign for the construction markets, architectural firms saw a rebound in business conditions in May after experiencing a softer April. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Deltek reported a May reading of 51.0 in the Architecture Billings Index (ABI). This was a rise from the previous month’s reading of 48.5 and […]
Raw steel production by US mills rose last week, increasing from the previous week’s drop, according to data released by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) on Tuesday, June 20. Domestic production stood at 1,743,000 net tons during the week ended June 17, up 0.2% from 1,739,000 tons the previous week. Production is up 0.3% from the […]
Offshore hot-rolled coil (HRC) remains at a discount to domestic product, as prices abroad have eroded at a faster pace than tags stateside, according to SMU’s latest foreign vs. domestic price analysis. While prices of both imported and domestic hot band continue to decline, domestic HRC’s declines have not been consistently as sharp as the […]
The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and prime scrap prices narrowed further in June, according to Steel Market Update data. Both the averages of SMU’s HRC and busheling scrap prices slipped this week. Our HRC average fell $5 per net ton week-over-week to sit at $930 per ton ($46.50 per cwt) as of Tuesday, June 13. Meanwhile, after settling, […]
The US Federal Reserve has taken some pressure out of the market by announcing a pause in interest rate hikes, leaving rates at 5% to 5.25% after more than a year of consecutive rate increases. The decision on Wednesday came a day after official figures showed US inflation was 4% – the lowest pace of […]
Metallics prices have fallen in most global markets over the last month, driven by weak steel demand and improved metallics supply. Lower finished steel prices and EAF margins have weighed heavily on metallics prices across major markets. Scrap bids from key buyers have reduced further amid ample availability, while recent pig iron price cuts have […]
The July Midwest HRC future started February just below $800, rallied $325 in just over a month peaking at $1,115 on March 9. Over the next 81 days, the July future basically went full circle, falling $311 to just over $800 on June 1. Since the start of June, the July future has rallied almost […]
Domestic scrap prices continued to tumble this month on soft demand and strong inbound scrap flows, but the market could come into balance in July, sources said. “After this more-than-expected drop in prices for June, the market next month should be sideways at worst,” one source said. He noted that the export market remains firm and […]
The forest fires raging in Canada caused rail interruptions for Champion Iron last week. With the fires now subsiding in the area, the company reports a resumption in rail services between its Bloom Lake mine and the port of Sept-Îles on the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Quebec. Mining activities continued at Bloom Lake while […]
U.S. Steel and Wheeling-Nippon Steel have joined other domestic mills in reducing coating extras. Wheeling-Nippon said the new, lower extras would be effective with new orders quoted for the week ending July 22. The new extras apply to aluminized, galvanized, and galvanneal, the company said in a letter to customers dated Wednesday, June 14. One […]
Sheet prices fell at a more modest pace this week after a sharp decline last week, as business seemed somewhat curbed. After Memorial Day prices fell, leading to the sharpest price drop since June 21, 2022. Now, the slide seems to have temporarily cooled, though sources indicated it was almost exclusively due to a lack of activity. SMU’s hot-rolled […]
After hitting an almost five-year high in March, US steel exports fell back during the month of April. Exports totaled 768,235 net tons in April, according to the latest figures available from the US Department of Commerce. This was a 13% month-on-month (MoM) and a 7% year-on-year (YoY) decline. Note that March exports of 886,458 […]
Raw steel production by US mills slipped last week, declining for the first time in five weeks, according to data released by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) on Monday, June 12. Domestic production stood at 1,739,000 net tons in the week ended June 10, down 0.9% vs. 1,754,000 tons the previous week. Despite the […]
The LME aluminum three-month price is moving higher again as the week ending June 9 closes trading at $2,230/t. Failing to dip below the critical transition price of $2,000/t, The LME steadied itself despite very lackluster demand anywhere in the world. Trading in China also kept the regional exchange there neutral, if not a bit […]
Go figure, in the last month, HR spot has continued to decline. The index tied to CME HR futures has given up $140/ST ($1,130/ST to $990/ST). A look at the fundamentals would appear to support the latest market direction. The list includes declining steelmaking component prices (zinc, coking coal, iron ore and scrap), a sharply […]
US steel imports were steady from April to May, according to the latest data from the US Department of Commerce. May’s import license count – a first look at import figures for a given month, at 2,395,039 net tons – was just 0.5% higher than April’s final count of 2,382,580 tons. Compared to the same […]