US steel export volumes remained relatively flat in November compared to October, according to the latest US Commerce Department data. November’s exports total stood at 697,447 tons vs. 697,399 tons the previous month. October remains the lowest volume export month for 2022. In comparison to recent years, export levels had remained high for the majority of 2022. Of our six monitored […]
Steel mill lead times were flat to down this week, declining by an average of 0.5 weeks across all five products we track. Steel buyers reported mill lead times ranging from 4 to 6 weeks for hot rolled and plate, and 5 to 8 weeks for cold rolled, galvanized, and Galvalume. SMU’s hot-rolled lead time […]
Raw steel production by US mills rebounded last week for the first time in five weeks as capacity utilization rose to just 71.7%, according to data released by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) on Tuesday, Jan. 17. The increase came driven by increases in tons in the Great Lakes, Midwest, and South. Domestic […]
US heating and cooling equipment shipments declined further in November, according to recently released data from the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). Total shipments in November were 1.768 million units, 6% less than October levels and down 6% compared with the same month last year. November represents the lowest shipment rate recorded in […]
Moving goods from one location to another may seem simple enough. But as we’ve seen in the past few years, it’s not always that easy. Fortunately, there are experts like Anton Posner, CEO of The Mercury Group, who take on the chaos of transportation. The Mercury Group is a consulting firm that specializes in global […]
Canadian drilling rig numbers continue to climb, and the number of working rigs in the US is back up, according to data from oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The number of oil and gas rigs in operation is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of demand for oil country tubular goods […]
As new capacity continues to come online, there’s a question of what that means for existing capacity. Will the market be flooded with too much supply and not enough demand? North American flat-rolled capacity has been growing and is expected to continue to into 2025. But Philip K. Bell, president of the Steel Manufacturer’s Association (SMA), […]
By now, anyone who works in the steel industry understands how important sustainability is. Steel is the most recycled material in the world, and recycled steel is a prominent ingredient in electric-arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking. Steel Market Update’s final Spotlight of 2022 gets into sustainability with Philip Bell, president of the Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA), […]
SMU polled steel buyers on a variety of subjects on Monday and Tuesday of this week, including current and future steel prices, inventory strategies, supply, demand, and new mill capacity. Rather than summarizing the comments we received, we are sharing them in each buyer’s own words. We want to hear your thoughts, too! Contact Becca@SteelMarketUpdate.com […]
SMU polled steel buyers on a variety of subjects on Monday and Tuesday of this week, including current and future steel prices, inventory strategies, supply, demand, and new mill capacity. Rather than summarizing the comments we received, we are sharing them in each buyer’s own words. We want to hear your thoughts, too! Contact Becca@SteelMarketUpdate.com […]
We’re less than one month away from the Tampa Steel Conference. The event will be at the Tampa Marriott Water Street hotel again, so mark your calendar for Sunday-Tuesday, Feb. 5-7. There are nearly 375 attendees registered, and the list is growing daily. Keep in mind that this is the high season for tourism in Florida, and […]
Canadian drilling rig numbers have made a post-holiday rebound, while working rigs in the US declined, according to data from oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The number of oil and gas rigs in operation is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of demand for oil country tubular goods (OCTG), a key […]
Steel mill lead times increased again this week, extending by an average of 0.6 weeks across all five products we track. You may recall that lead times for hot-rolled, cold-rolled, and galvanized products were at or near multi-year lows in our late November market check. Lead times have increased an average of 0.9 weeks compared […]
US manufacturing activity slipped in December, for the second consecutive month, according to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). The ISM’s December manufacturing PMI remains below the neutral 50.0 mark — the level typically dividing expansion from contraction. On the heels of a 29-month period of growth, this is now the lowest level since May […]
The number of active Canadian drilling rigs dropped for the second week in a row, while rigs in the US stayed the same, according to data from oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The number of oil and gas rigs in operation is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of demand for […]
This is the final Final Thoughts of 2022. We made it! This time last year I was talking to customers about processing orders. This year I’m writing about market tends. So things are a bit different. But I still notice the steel industry’s typical holiday lull. This week we saw that consumer confidence increased, the USW […]
The number of active Canadian drilling rigs dropped significantly this week, while rigs in the US increased slightly, according to data from oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The number of oil and gas rigs in operation is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of demand for oil country tubular goods (OCTG), […]
Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) is joining the S&P 500® index. The addition goes into effect prior to market opening on Thursday, Dec. 22. SDI was founded in 1993 and began producing steel in 1996 at its first mill in Butler, Ind. The steelmaker’s most recent facility in Sinton, Texas, was constructed in 2021. The Texas […]
Klöckner & Co. announced an agreement to buy Mexican metal supplier National Material of Mexico (NMM) for $340 million. The Duisburg, Germany–based service center said the transaction will be completed through Klöckner & Co.’s U.S. subsidiary, Kloeckner Metals Corp. (KMC). NMM is an independent service center with seven locations throughout Mexico. The company specializes in the […]
The number of active drilling rigs dipped this week in the US and in Canada, according to data from oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The number of oil and gas rigs in operation is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of demand for oil country tubular goods (OCTG), a key […]
Nucor is planning to build two new tower production plants, evaluating locations in the Midwest and Southeast. The Charlotte, N.C.–based steelmaker announced the plans to build two new state-of-the-art tower production plants as part of its Nucor Towers and Structures division. The towers and structures business unit was formed after the company’s acquisition of Summit Utility […]
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. said it is introducing a new line of electrical steels to the North American market. The new line will be used to manufacture high-frequency motors and generators. Named Motor-Max, the brand consists of high-frequency, non-oriented electrical steel (HF NOES) designed for use in high-speed motors, electric vehicle (EV) traction motors, aircraft generators, and additional rotating […]
The Biden administration sent a proposition to the European Union (EU) Dec. 7 for a potential trade alliance between nations that use lower carbon emissions to produce metals. In October 2021 the US lifted the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the EU, which was replaced by the tariff rate quota (TRQ) […]
Nucor Corp. has partnered with Boulder, Colo.-based startup Electra to develop “carbon-free” iron. The goal is to further reduce greenhouse gas emission in Nucor’s steelmaking operations. “Just as Nucor changed the face of the steel industry 53 years ago with our first electric arc furnace, successfully developing and scaling up a zero-carbon iron product is the […]
The number of active drilling rigs remained flat this week in the US and increased by one in Canada, according to data from oilfield services company Baker Hughes. Counts have been trending in different directions in recent weeks. Drilling activity in the US continues to improve, although it is still not back to pre-Covid levels. The […]
President Joseph Biden on Friday Dec. 2 signed into law a bill aimed at averting a nationwide rail strike. The law compels railroad unions to accept a tentative agreement reached in September. The unions opposed the agreement because it did not provide paid sick days. Railroad companies and the unions faced a Dec. 9 deadline to reach a […]
Wolfe Research managing director Timna Tanners joined SMU for an Community Chat on Wednesday to talk about her forecast for 2023, including the calm before the sheet storm. Tanners is bullish about the first half next year. She forecast HRC prices would average $775 per ton ($38.75 per cwt) in Q1 2023, dip to $750 per ton […]
The White House released a statement on Nov. 28 requesting Congress to pass immediate legislation that would adopt the tentative agreement between railroad workers and operators. As concerns of a rail strike grow, an agreement could deter members from striking. “This agreement was approved by labor and management negotiators in September. On the day that […]
The potential for a rail strike still remains after the results of union votes were announced on Nov. 21. While members of the SMART yardmasters and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) voted to accept their proposed labor deals, members of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers – Transportation […]
GrafTech Mexico SA de CV is resuming operations after a brief hiatus.The Brooklyn Heights, Ohio-based graphite electrode producer initially announced the operational pause due to an operational license being out of date on Sept. 15, 2022. “We are pleased to have received an order that allows for the immediate restart of our operations in Mexico,” said […]