How sustainable are the high steel prices in the United States? Steel Market Update sources point to a number of risk factors that buyers should consider. One service center general manager told us flat rolled and plate prices could only be threatened by an increase in imports. “Sharp price declines are caused by sharp increases […]
The 2018 SMU Steel Summit Conference is on pace to become the largest conference we have ever hosted. Our conference will be the premium networking event for manufacturers, fabricators, steel distributors, steel mills, trading companies and toll processors, as well as the industries that supply those groups. Based on the current registration rate, we anticipate […]
I am back in my office and will be here for the balance of the week. Diana is back as well and will be in her office until we leave for Atlanta at the end of August. Graber Post Buildings, Esmark, CMC Impact Metals, North American Steel Alliance, Fluor, Whirlpool Corporation, Metal One America, Gateway […]
We have passed through 750 registrations for the 2018 SMU Steel Summit Conference, which is now 39 days away! Graber Post Buildings, Esmark, CMC Impact Metals, North American Steel Alliance, Fluor, Whirlpool Corporation, Metal One America, Gateway Terminal, Argus Media, USS/Posco, Steel & Pipe Supply, JN Linrose Mfg., ArcelorMittal Dofasco, LISSMAC Corporation and Cooper Consolidated […]
Manufacturing companies have a different perspective on service center spot pricing than what the service centers themselves reported to Steel Market Update during the first week of July. We are about to survey steel buyers as we work on our mid-July flat rolled and plate steel market trends analysis. Prior to the new survey, we […]
Last night for me in Maine. It’s been a wonderful long weekend to escape some of the heat of Florida for a few days. I will be traveling most of the day tomorrow and I will be back in my office on Tuesday for the balance of the week before leaving for Minnesota. We will […]
Steel Market Update is taking registrations for our first Steel 201: Introduction to Advanced High Strength & Other New Steels Workshop, which will be held at AK Steel’s new Research and Innovation Center on Sept. 11-12, 2018, in Middletown, Ohio. This will be a special experience for those wanting to learn more about how steels […]
It’s a beautiful day in Maine. I spoke to the Chain Link Fence Manufacturers Institute this morning. The group was engaged and had many questions regarding the Section 232 tariffs. I was followed by Dr. Lynn Reaser, the Chief Economist for the Fermonian Business & Economic Institute. She works specifically with the CLFMI and she […]
Steel Market Update has adjusted our SMU Price Momentum to Neutral from Higher on all products except plate, which remains at Higher for the moment. We chose to move at this time due to weakness we are seeing in the cold rolled and coated steel markets, with mild price erosion already evident in certain markets. […]
My understanding is the salespeople at the former CSN Terre Haute, Ind., steel mill will remain with Steel Dynamics. SDI did something similar when they purchased what is now SDI Columbus, Miss. I have heard that Paul Navetta is the sales manager at SDI Terre Haute. I also understand that Jerry Richardson will remain with […]
The data from Steel Market Update’s latest market trends questionnaire shows mixed feelings when it comes to Current vs. Future Sentiment. The SMU Steel Buyers Sentiment Index measures how buyers and sellers of flat rolled and plate steels feel about their companies’ ability to be successful both now (Current) and three to six months into […]
Steel Market Update ferrous scrap sources have advised us there was quick buying of July scrap early this past week. We understand that a Midwest-based EAF mill was buying early, taking prime grades such as busheling up $10 per ton while obsolete grades (HMS, shred) were bought at sideways pricing to June. Busheling, which along […]
The 8th SMU Steel Summit Conference is scheduled to begin on August 27th at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta,, Georgia. Registrations are already close to 700 on our way to 750-800 attendees at this year’s event. You can find out more about the conference schedule, companies attending, costs and how to register on […]
I will be in my office on Monday and Tuesday of this week before traveling to Maine to speak to the Chain Link Fence Manufacturers Institute on Thursday. I have a very busy schedule over the next couple of months leading up to our 8th SMU Steel Summit Conference on Aug. 27-29. I hope I […]
The following report is normally provided to data providers and Premium level members of Steel Market Update: Steel Market Update began collecting flat rolled and plate inventories information from our participating service centers beginning on Monday of this week. The following is our “Flash” report, which is derived from at least 50 percent of the […]
Welcome back to those of you in the United States who had the Fourth of July off, but didn’t decide to take a few extra days and extend the holiday. SMU was closed on Tuesday and Wednesday in honor of the Fourth and also to give myself a bit of a break having just been […]
Good evening from another sunny and warm day in London. Diana and I have been here since Wednesday morning of last week. We spent two full days at the headquarters of the CRU Group and another two and a half days sightseeing around London as this is our first trip to England. Having spent a […]
On Monday and part of Tuesday of this week, SMU President & CEO John Packard attended a number of meetings in New York City. The first meeting was the CRU Steel Briefing where the CRU Group provided insights and forecasts regarding steel, scrap, Section 232 and other topics of interest. SMU hosted the Bank of […]
I am in London attending meetings with our new parent company, the CRU Group. I have been very impressed at the depth of the work being done by the CRU team. I will be sharing more about the CRU Group in the days and weeks ahead. I do want to stress to those of you […]
Steel Market Update is working with AK Steel as we present our first Steel 201: Introduction to Advanced High Strength & Other New Steels workshop. This workshop is meant to be a continuing education course focused on how steel is made with a special focus on advanced high-strength steels for automotive and other “lightweighting” applications. […]
As of Monday, every registration we receive for this year’s SMU Steel Summit Conference will result in a new record for our conference. Our goal is 800 and we are only 150 people away from achieving it with 63 days to go… The extreme travel is upon Diana and myself as we leave for the […]
On Tuesday evening, the U.S. Department of Commerce releases the import licenses collected by product and by country through that date. This week, the licenses were reported for the first 19 days of June 2018. After looking at the data (see story about June import trend in tonight’s issue of SMU), the head of commercial […]
The data from Steel Market Update’s latest market trends questionnaire shows some erosion in Future Sentiment. The SMU Steel Buyers Sentiment Index measures how buyers and sellers of flat rolled and plate steels feel about their companies’ ability to be successful both now and three to six months into the future. Buyers and sellers of […]
A note to those who might be interested, we have a couple of exhibition spots still available for this year’s SMU Steel Summit Conference, which will be held at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta on Aug. 27-29. We will have close to 800 people at this year’s event (the event will be a […]
I spent all day on Wednesday of this week in the Pittsburgh offices of the CRU Group. I was impressed with the people working out of Pittsburgh and was even more impressed with the size and scope of the company here in the United States and across the world. The company indexes all kinds of […]
Steel Market Update and the CRU Group are pleased to announce the SMU Steel Summit Conference will include a fireside chat between CRU Group Executive Chairman Robert Perlman and SMU President & CEO John Packard. Since Steel Market Update has been acquired by the CRU Group out of London, we thought it appropriate that Steel […]
Steel Market Update and the CRU Group are pleased to announce the SMU Steel Summit Conference will include a fireside chat between CRU Group Executive Chairman Robert Perlman and SMU President & CEO John Packard. Since Steel Market Update has been acquired by the CRU Group out of London, we thought it appropriate that Steel […]
We are sliding into summer and so far (knock on wood) we are not hearing of any erosion in demand. Those with whom we have spoken over the past week are optimistic about business, although concerned about the uncertainty caused by the Section 232s and now the escalation in trade issues with China using the […]
Twice each month, Steel Market Update conducts a review of the flat rolled and plate steel industries. We do this through a web-based questionnaire, which is sent to approximately 640 individuals associated with either the flat rolled or plate steel industries. The individuals invited are from manufacturing, steel distribution, steel mills, trading companies and toll […]
I got a note from one of our readers who pointed out that Sept. 18 & 19 are Holy Days on the Jewish calendar. These were the days selected for our first SMU 201: Intro to Advanced High Strength & Other New Steels workshop, which is going to be held at AK Steel Research and […]