I’m looking forward to next month’s Tampa Steel Conference, where we will discuss lots of steel-related policy issues. The conference provides an opportunity to weigh the importance of the steel industry in the American economy and the global economy. We cannot realistically discuss what to do about steel (or any industry) from either a government […]
Count me as an optimist—that events move, sporadically and inconsistently, but generally toward progress. I received a lot of messages during the past week that wondered openly whether talks between the United States and the European Union might lead to an end to the steel and aluminum tariffs that have been in effect since 2018. […]
Count me as an optimist—that events move, sporadically and inconsistently, but generally toward progress. I received a lot of messages during the past week that wondered openly whether talks between the United States and the European Union might lead to an end to the steel and aluminum tariffs that have been in effect since 2018. […]
Steel Market Update wants to make you aware of some of the events we have planned for early 2021 as well as the 2021 SMU Steel Summit Conference, which will be (fingers crossed) a live event at the end of August. Steel Hedging 101: Introduction to Managing Price Risk Dates: Jan. 26-27 (half day workshop […]
Before we slide into the Christmas and New Year vacations, we want to make you aware of some of the events we have planned for early 2021 as well as our SMU Steel Summit Conference, which will be (fingers crossed) a live event at the end of August. Steel Hedging 101: Introduction to Managing Price […]
After reaching bottom in June, due largely to the global pandemic, mill shipments and supply of sheet products have since maintained a slow but steady upward trajectory. This analysis is based on steel mill shipment data from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and import-export data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The analysis […]
U.S. raw steel production rose 4.2 percent in October to 6,861,000 net tons, as reported by the American Iron and Steel Institute. AISI’s monthly raw steel production estimates are different than the weekly estimates SMU reports each Tuesday; the monthly estimates are based on over 75 percent of the domestic mills reporting versus only 50 […]
Weekly raw steel production by U.S. mills totaled 1,567,000 net tons in the week ending Dec. 12, down slightly from 1,579,000 week on week. The operating rate was 70.9 percent, down 0.8 percent from 71.4 percent the week prior, based on the American iron and Steel Institute’s calculations, which include idled capacity. Actually, despite the […]
Kevin Dempsey has been named president and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute by the AISI Board of Directors. Dempsey has been serving as interim president and CEO since the retirement of Thomas Gibson in June. “Kevin Dempsey has been a driving force for the steel industry’s advocacy on our key priorities for […]
Weekly raw steel production by U.S. mills totaled 1,561,000 net tons in the week ending Nov. 28, while the average operating rate was 70.6 percent. Production declined by 1.3 percent from the week prior, likely due to the holiday break. Present capacity utilization represents a 14.4 percent decrease from the same period last year when […]
Weekly raw steel production by U.S. mills totaled 1,582,000 net tons in the week ending Nov. 21. The operating rate was a fraction higher than the prior week at 71.5 percent. Despite the steady increase in production through much of 2020, the latest week’s output remains 13.2 percent behind the same week last year when the […]
Kevin Dempsey, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Iron and Steel Institute, is confident the industry trade association will be able to work productively with the incoming Biden administration in pursuit of the steel industry’s goals. “Obviously there will be a change in personality and personnel in key positions, but at the […]
Raw steel production by U.S. mills increased by 7,000 net tons last week. In the week ending Nov. 14, domestic steel production totaled 1,580,000 net tons, pushing the average industry capacity utilization rate up slightly to 71.4 percent. Although production continues on a slow upward trajectory, it remains 13.3 percent below the same week last year when the operating rate was […]
Editor’s note 11/17/20: The data in the “Supply Tons YTD” column on Table 3 didn’t populate correctly, and therefore, was in error. Table 3 has now been updated accordingly. Mill shipments and supply of sheet products continue to see slight yet steady growth since reaching bottom in June. This analysis is based on steel mill […]
U.S. raw steel production remained steady in September, up 0.8 percent to 6,587,000 net tons, as reported by the American Iron and Steel Institute. AISI’s monthly raw steel production estimates are different than the weekly estimates SMU reports each Tuesday; the monthly estimates are based on over 75 percent of the domestic mills reporting versus […]
U.S. apparent steel supply remained flat from August to September, up 0.4 percent to 7.19 million net tons, according to the latest U.S. Department of Commerce and American Iron and Steel Institute data. While supply levels have improved each month since May, recall that April and May were the two lowest levels seen in the […]
U.S. steel mills shipped 6,662,904 net tons in September, a 2.0 percent increase from the 6,532,652 net tons shipped in the previous month, but a 14.2 percent decrease from the 7,767,310 net tons shipped in September 2019, reported the American Iron and Steel Institute. Shipments year-to-date totaled 60,449,359 net tons, a 16.7 percent decrease vs. […]
Weekly raw steel production by U.S. mills continues to climb, a trend that started back in May. In the week ending Nov. 7, raw steel production totaled 1,573,000 net tons. The capacity utilization rate rose to 71.1 percent, up from 70.0 percent the week prior. Despite the steady rise in output, the current week’s production represents […]
Domestic mills continue to increase steel production as the economy rebounds from the coronavirus, with the capacity utilization rate topping 70 percent again for the first time since late-March. In the week ending Oct. 31, raw steel production totaled 1,557,000 net tons, at a mill operating rate of 70.4 percent, up from 69.7 percent the […]
Editor’s note 11/3/20: Some of the data as originally published in Table 1 was incorrect due to a spreadsheet error (specifically the change in shipments 3M Y/Y column). The table has been updated with the correct information below. Mill shipments and supply of sheet products have turned, albeit slightly, since reaching bottom in […]
Weekly raw steel production by U.S. mills rose again by 0.5 percent to 1,542,000 net tons in the week ending Oct. 24. The mill operating rate hit 69.7 percent, up from 69.4 percent the week prior. Despite the steady increases over the past 20 weeks as the economy recovers from COVID, domestic steel production was still […]
Raw steel production by U.S. mills rose again by 2.2 percent to 1,535,000 net tons in the week ending Oct. 17, continuing an uptrend that began nearly five months ago. The mill operating rate hit 69.4 percent, up from 67.9 percent the week prior. Despite the repeated rise in capacity utilization, production was still down by 15.0 percent […]
By CRU Analyst Estelle Tran, from CRU’s Global Steel Trade Service The spike in sheet purchasing activity pushed prices up $200 /s.ton over the last two months and mill lead times for HR coil over six weeks. Steel Market Update, which is owned by CRU, also reported CR and HDG coil lead times in the […]
Raw steel production by U.S. mills rose another 1.2 percent in the week ending Oct. 10 to 1,502,000 net tons, the 16th increase in the last 18 weeks. The operating rate reached 67.9 percent last week, up from 66.6 percent the week prior. Even though production has experienced steady increases, mill output was still 16.8 percent below levels of […]
U.S. apparent steel supply continued it’s recovery in August, up 2.6 percent from July to 7.17 million net tons, according to the latest U.S. Department of Commerce and American Iron and Steel Institute data. While supply levels have improved each month since May, recall that April and May were the two lowest levels seen in […]
U.S. raw steel production rose 9.4 percent to 6,538,000 net tons in August, as reported by the American Iron and Steel Institute in Washington. August production is slightly below the 2020 monthly average of 6,580,000 tons, and down 19.8 percent compared to the same month last year. August production was 560,000 tons higher than July, […]
Steel imports declined by more than 20 percent in the first nine months of 2020, including a nearly 27 percent drop in finished steel imports, reports the American Iron and Steel Institute. The estimated finished steel import market share for the year to date is 18 percent, down from 19 percent in full-year 2019. Including […]
Raw steel production by U.S. mills increased 0.3 percent in the week ending Oct. 3 to 1,484,000 net tons, another small sign of rising steel demand. The operating rate of 66.6 percent was up from 66.1 percent the week prior. Although domestic production has seen steady gains since April, last week’s output was still 17.7 percent […]
Raw steel production by U.S. mills jumped by 2.4 percent in the week ending Sept. 26 to 1,480,000 net tons, following a small dip in the previous week. The operating rate last week hit 66.1 percent, up from 64.5 percent in the prior week. The last time production topped 66 percent of the mills’ capability was 25 […]
U.S apparent steel supply remained flat from June to July, up 0.8 percent to 6.98 million net tons, according to the latest U.S. Department of Commerce and American Iron and Steel Institute data. While June and July supply levels have both shown improvement, recall that April and May were the two lowest levels seen in […]