Contributor: Laura Miller

Laura Miller

Laura Miller is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. She has held a variety of positions within the steel industry since 2007, including reporting and editing for Steel Business Briefing/Platts, the Association for Iron and Steel Technology, and Kallanish Commodities, as well as marketing for what was then known as ThyssenKrupp Steel USA (now AM/NS Calvert). After a five-year hiatus working across other industries, she returned to steel in 2021 and has covered the flat rolled, tubular, and trade areas of the industry. She is a member of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries and a past-president of the AWMI Pittsburgh Chapter. She holds a BA in Latin American Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She can be reached at laura@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7869.

Reliance acquires Georgia’s Cooksey Iron & Metal

Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. announced on Feb. 2 that it has acquired Tifton, Ga.-based Cooksey Iron & Metal Co.

SMU survey: Sheet mill lead times pull back significantly

Steel mill lead times for sheet products saw substantial declines over the past two weeks, while production times for plate held steady during the month of January.

Trump would oppose USS/Nippon merger: Report

If reelected in the November presidential election, Donald Trump said he would block the sale of U.S. Steel to Japan’s Nippon Steel Corp. (NSC).

Thyssenkrupp Materials de México opens new stocking location

Thyssenkrupp Materials de México is opening a new service center in San Luis Potosí.

Tampa Steel: Analysts forecast lower sheet prices this year

With rising steelmaking capacity and relatively flat demand, industry analysts are predicting lower prices for sheet products this year.

Cliffs ships record amount of steel; sees scrap, HRC prices staying high

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. shipped more than 4 million short tons (st) of steel in each quarter of 2023, pushing its full-year shipments to a record 16.4m st.

Cleveland-Cliffs came close to acquiring U.S. Steel

A Jan. 24 SEC filing by U.S. Steel Corp. reveals further details about the company’s strategic review process.

December marks second slowest month for imports in 2023

December’s import level was slightly lower than an earlier license count had suggested, resulting in December marking the second-slowest month for imports in 2023.

Steel market chatter this week

What's being talked about in the US steel market this week?

SMU Community Chat: Iron ore market update with CRU’s Erik Hedborg

SMU’s Jan. 24 Community Chat, featuring CRU's Principal Analyst Erik Hedborg, provided viewers with an update on the current state of the global iron ore market.

Algoma Steel halts coke production after structure collapse in Sault Ste. Marie

Algoma Steel Group has halted coke production in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, after an incident at its coke-making facility this past weekend.

Rig counts rise in US, Canada but down from last year

While oil and gas drilling in the US and Canada rose in the week ended Jan. 19, less drilling is happening than at this time last year, Baker Hughes’ latest data shows.

HRC vs. plate price spread narrowing but still high

The premium plate has held over hot-rolled coil (HRC) has been narrowing but remains elevated compared to historical levels.

Fed Beige Book: Economic activity steady, manufacturing declines

While there was little change in economic activity since its last update, the Federal Reserve reported declines in manufacturing in nearly all districts in its January Beige Book update.

SMU survey: Steel mill lead times mostly slipping

The slipping lead times for flat-rolled steel were not just due to the holiday slowdown, it seems, as production times for four out of five products contracted again this week.

Steel market chatter this week

What are people in the steel marketplace talking about this week?

November exports hit lowest point of 2023

US steel exports were flat from October to November, but November took the prize for the fewest monthly exports year to date in 2023.

Galvanized buyers report an above-average start to new year

Coming out of a strong fourth quarter, galvanized steel market participants are reporting an above-average start to January and are cautiously optimistic for 2024.

Will we see you in Tampa in two weeks?

We’re just two weeks away from the 35th annual Tampa Steel Conference! It’s not too late to register.

HRC vs. CRC price spread jumps in second week of new year

The spread between cold-rolled coil (CRC) and hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices jumped during the week of Jan. 8 as cold rolled tags continued to rise while hot rolled tags held steady.

USW accuses USS of contract violations in Nippon Steel deal

The United Steelworkers (USW) union is accusing U.S. Steel of labor contract violations as the steelmaker pursues its potential sale to Nippon Steel.

SMU Community Chat: New Reibus leaders talk change

With a new leadership team and a more streamlined workforce, digital metals marketplace Reibus is entering a new phase of its evolution as an innovator in the metals industry.

Commerce to lower import duties on welded pipe from UAE

The US Department of Commerce will likely be lowering the antidumping duty (AD) rates on imports of welded steel pipe from the UAE.

CMC posts lower earnings, expects better results from infrastructure spend

Commercial Metals Co. saw robust demand from the construction markets in its first fiscal quarter, which ended on Nov. 30, 2023.

Commerce rules four countries are unfairly trading tin mill products

The Department of Commerce issued its final determination in the trade case involving tin mill products from a handful of countries.

ITC hears final arguments in tin mill products trade case

The International Trade Commission (ITC) held a hearing on Thursday, Jan. 4, to consider arguments for and against the imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVDs) on tin mill products from a handful of countries. Both sides made compelling arguments.

Steel market chatter this week

SMU polled steel buyers on a variety of subjects this past week, including purchasing practices, steel sheet prices, scrap, and the future market.

SMU survey: Lead times contract but remain at healthy levels

Steel mill lead times pulled back across the board this week but are still said to be at healthy levels, according to SMU's market survey this week.

Import licenses bounce back to five-month high in December

After falling in November, steel imports appear to have bounced back to a five-month high in December.

Raw steel output falls to close 2023, annual production slightly higher

Raw steel production in the US fell to a 38-week low to close out the last week of 2023.