The spread between hot-rolled coil and galvanized base prices has narrowed further since our September update, now standing at a 28-week low. This is now the second lowest level seen in the past 10 months, just behind the March 2022 low of $300 per net ton. The relationship between hot rolled and galvanized prices has […]
Steel prices were steady to slightly down throughout the month of September, following declines seen in each of the four months prior. Hot-rolled prices averaged $780 per ton ($39.00 per cwt) the first week of September, falling to a low of $770 per ton in the third week of the month, and rising to $775 […]
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 Brett@SteelMarketUpdate.com […]
Steel Market Update’s (SMU) Steel Buyers Sentiment Index saw a slight uptick this week. The modest gain follows a double-digit decline two weeks prior. Industry sentiment has trended downward since May, with continued concerns about demand, profitability, high-cost inventory, and recession. Despite the increased gloom, SMU’s Future Steel Buyers Sentiment Index also bounced back this […]
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 […]
Rock Trading Advisors President David Feldstein will be the featured speaker on the next SMU Community Chat webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 11 a.m. ET. The live webinar is free for anyone to attend. A recording will be available for SMU members. You can register for the webinar here. We’ll discuss the last three years in the […]
Steel mill lead times shrunk across the board this week, with the processing time narrowing for all five products we track. SMU’s latest lead times analysis shows that production times on hot rolled, galvanized, and plate products declined 0.1–0.3 weeks compared to our previous check on the market, while cold rolled and Galvalume lead times […]
The power position in price negotiations between steel mills and steel purchasers has seen a complete turn around in the past six months, transitioning from a seller’s market in March and April to a strong buyer’s market today. According to our latest steel market survey, the percentage of buyers reporting that mills are willing to […]
The appeal to import foreign hot-rolled coil (HRC) in place of purchasing domestic steel remains low to non-existent, but that may be changing, according to our latest foreign versus domestic price analysis. Foreign prices were flat to down as much as $40 per net ton this week, while domestic prices increased $5 per ton. Foreign […]
Steel Market Update sources expect ferrous scrap prices to be sideways to down in October, potentially the fifth consecutive monthly decline since the record highs seen earlier this year. Obsolete grades are anticipated to fall as much as $20 per gross ton or more, while prime scrap is expected to remain flat or slightly decline. […]
Nucor Corp. announced Wednesday plans to build two new galvanizing lines, with specific details for one line to be constructed at the Nucor Steel Berkeley sheet mill in Huger, S.C. The $425 million investment will create more than 50 full-time jobs, with an expected start-up date of mid-2025. Nucor said this expansion will provide more […]
Preliminary US Census Bureau data indicates that steel imports will have totaled 2.51 million net tons during the month of August. This is down 6% from the prior month and potentially the lowest monthly rate seen since February of this year. Recall that monthly import levels also declined 6% from June to July. August figures […]
The number of active drilling rigs increased in both the US and Canada this week, 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). The number […]
Earlier this week, SMU polled steel buyers on a variety of subjects including current and future steel prices, inventory strategies, supply, demand, and new mill capacity. We are sharing the comments we received in each buyer’s own words, rather than summarizing them in ours. We want to hear your thoughts, too! Contact Brett@SteelMarketUpdate.com to be […]
Foreign steel imports from two of the three regions tracked by Steel Market Update no longer have a price advantage over domestic steel. US HRC prices are potentially 5% cheaper than imported steel from the two regions, according to our latest foreign versus domestic hot-rolled steel price analysis. Foreign HRC prices for just one region […]
Prices for each of the steelmaking raw materials tracked in this SMU analysis decreased over the last 30 days, further declining from the record-high levels seen in March and April. Through the latest data available as of Sept. 21, zinc prices decreased 12% in the last month, busheling scrap and aluminum prices fell 7%, pig […]
Sheet prices drifted sideways to down this week, while plate prices fell substantually following the Nucor price decrease announcement on Monday. SMU’s hot-rolled index eased an average of $15 per net ton this week to $770 per ton. This is now tied with our late August price for the lowest HRC price seen since November […]
Earlier this week, SMU polled steel buyers on a variety of subjects including current and future steel prices, inventory strategies, supply, demand, and new mill capacity. We are sharing the comments we received in each buyer’s own words, rather than summarizing them in ours. We want to hear your thoughts, too! Contact Brett@SteelMarketUpdate.com to be […]
Everguard.ai CEO Sandeep Pandya will be the featured speaker on the next SMU Community Chat webinar this Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 11 a.m. ET. The live webinar is free for anyone to attend. A recording will be available for SMU members. You can register for the webinar here. Sandeep will explain some of the most innovative safety […]
Steel Market Update’s (SMU) Steel Buyers Sentiment Index saw double-digit declines last week, falling to the second-lowest level seen in the past two years. Our Future Steel Buyers Sentiment Index also declined, now tied for the third-lowest reading in that same time frame. Buyers attribute their weaking optimism to profitability concerns on high-cost inventory as […]
The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and prime scrap prices has changed course in recent weeks, according to Steel Market Update data. Busheling scrap prices declined for the fifth consecutive month in September, while hot-rolled prices have levelled out in recent weeks. Overall, we had seen a shrinking delta between the two products from May […]
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 […]
The Energy Information Administration’s August Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) was released earlier this month, forecasting spot prices and production for crude oil and natural gas. Crude oil prices are expected to remain at heightened levels for the remainder of this year, rising slightly into 2023. Natural gas prices are forecast to remain near recent highs […]
Steel mill lead times were overall flat this week, with the processing time for some orders slightly extending and others shrinking. Hot rolled and Galvalume lead times increased compared to our previous market check, while cold rolled, galvanized, and plate lead times slightly declined. On average this week, lead times were unchanged compared to two […]
Foreign steel imports from two of the three regions tracked by Steel Market Update have lost their price advantage over domestic steel, according to our latest foreign versus domestic hot-rolled steel price analysis. After taking freight costs, trader margins and tariffs into consideration, foreign HRC prices for just one region remain cheaper than domestic steel […]
The percentage of buyers reporting that mills are negotiable on new order pricing grew this week. According to our latest steel market survey this week, the majority of the steel executives polled reported that mills are willing to talk price to secure an order. A high willingness to negotiate has been evident in each of […]
Steel Market Update sources report ferrous scrap prices declined by as much as $30 per gross ton in September, going against previous expectations that prices would remain stable or even increase. September marks the sixth consecutive month of declines since March–April’s record high prices. Prime scrap fell by $30 per gross ton from the month […]
Everguard.ai CEO Sandeep Pandya will be the featured speaker on the next SMU Community Chat webinar on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 11 a.m. ET. The live webinar is free for anyone to attend. A recording will be available for SMU members. You can register for the webinar here. Sandeep will explain some of the most innovative […]
US apparent steel supply recovered 2% in July to 9.23 million net tons, according to the latest US Department of Commerce and American Iron and Steel Institute data. July supply levels are 2% below the average monthly rate across the past year of 9.41 million tons. Recall that supply reached a six-year high last September at 9.92 million […]
The number of active drilling rigs declined in both the US and Canada this week, according to data from oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The number of active oil and gas drilling rigs in operation is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of demand for oil country tubular goods (OCTG). […]