North American auto assemblies expanded in January after falling to 2021’s second lowest monthly total in December. January’s production total was up 12.6% sequentially, but down 4.1% from the same month last year. Supply-chain and microchip limitations continue to impact the automotive sector despite broad production improvements across North American automakers. As a result, assembly […]
Ferrous scrap prices declined again in February after an unexpectedly big drop in January. Prime scrap traded down $35/GT in most regions, while obsolete grades traded sideways, sources tell Steel Market Update. That puts the February price for busheling at around $525-535/GT, shred at $470-480/GT and HMS at $430-440/GT. “Tepid demand is being offset by […]
Steel buyers remain a surprisingly bullish bunch despite rapidly declining steel prices as well as worries about COVID and the broader economy, . Steel Market Update’s survey this week asked service center and manufacturing executives if they are optimistic or pessimistic about their prospects in the first half of 2022. About 64% considered themselves optimists versus […]
Calling 2021 “the safest and most profitable year in the company’s history,” Nucor executives sounded “a consistent drumbeat on demand” in their outlook for 2022 during their fourth-quarter conference call with analysts and investors today. The Charlotte, N.C.-based steelmaker posted record earnings of $6.83 billion in 2021 on sales of $36.5 billion. Sixteen of its […]
North American auto assemblies contracted in December to the second lowest monthly total in 2021 after expanding the two prior months. December’s production total was down 14.7% sequentially, and down 15.0% from the same month last year. The ongoing microchip shortage and supply-chain disruptions are still limiting the automotive sector. And although most carmakers have […]
Steel Market Update is pleased to share this Premium content with Executive members. For information on upgrading to a Premium-level subscription, email Info@SteelMarketUpdate.com. North American auto assemblies pushed higher in November, expanding for the second straight month as they recover from the lowest monthly total year-to-date in September. November’s production total was up 4.1% sequentially, […]
With relatively few exceptions, buyers tell Steel Market Update they sense the market is changing, and they expect steel prices to continue falling – though most expect the declines to be gradual. Their views are likely informed by price trends to date, which have been incremental, at least so far. The average price of hot rolled […]
Some of our key market indicators are pointing toward higher inventories at service centers and an “expectation” of lower prices out of the domestic steel mills. There are many questions yet to be answered as to what the “new normal” will look like when it comes to flat rolled steel prices. We have not seen […]
By CRU Principal Analyst Josh Spoores, from CRU’s Steel Sheet Products Monitor, Nov. 10 Global sheet prices have continued to fall, though declines have not been consistent across all regions. Overall, CRU’s Global Flat Products Steel Price Indicator (CRUspi flats) fell for the second consecutive month, declining by 2.9% and is now at its lowest […]
North American auto assemblies recovered in October after reaching the lowest monthly total year-to-date in September. October’s production total jumped 18.1% sequentially but was still down 24.6% year on year. The impact of the chip shortage and supply-chain disruptions is still constraining the automotive sector. Semiconductor scarcity and parts delays had further worsened through the […]
By CRU Principal Analyst Josh Spoores Trade representatives from the USA and Europe came to an agreement at the end of October in regard to the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum. The Department of Commerce further announced on Oct. 31 that consultations regarding the trade of steel remain ongoing between the USA and […]
By CRU Research Manager Eoin Dinsmore, from CRU’s January Zinc Monitor Buyers who are unfortunate enough to find themselves in the spot market are paying 18-23¢ /lb for SGH zinc. The most recent deals have all been at 20¢ /lb or higher. Buyers are fearful of being left short metal, while suppliers are either sold […]
North American auto assemblies fell in September, reaching the second lowest monthly total year-to-date. The impact of the chip shortage and supply-chain disruptions pulled automotive production down nearly 13% month on month. Semiconductor scarcity and parts delays further worsened, reducing vehicle inventories and causing regional sales to tumble during the month, according to LMC Automotive […]
By CRU Principal Analyst Josh Spoores, from CRU’s Steel Sheet Products Monitor North American sheet prices are lower m/m as prices in the U.S. have finally started to fall, at least for HR coil. Over the past several weeks, the amount and overall volume of spot transactions between mills and buyers have slowed, yet we […]
As I bounce around the market this week talking to steel buyers, I am trying to get a better feel for potential changes, how contract negotiations are going, how receptive end-user customers are toward the higher prices being offered (compared to one year ago), and what kind of foreign steel offers are out there. The […]
North American auto assemblies rebounded in August after light vehicle production hit a 14-month low the prior month. Despite the increase, the impact of the chip shortage continued to worsen, diminishing vehicle inventories and pushing regional sales down during the month, according to LMC Automotive (LMCA). Total North American vehicle production, including personal and commercial […]
By CRU Senior Analyst Helen O’Cleary, from CRU’s Steel Sheet Products Monitor CRU recently developed a bottom-up zinc demand model to improve our medium-term demand forecasts. The model calculates demand in key regions and countries for the six major first uses of refined zinc: galvanized sheet, general galvanizing, copper-zinc alloys, die casting alloys, zinc oxide […]
By CRU Principal Economist Alex Tuckett and CRU Chief Economist and Head of Sustainability Jumana Saleheen A disappointing outlook for U.S. Q3 growth, and the problems in China’s construction sector, have led us to downgrade our forecast for 2021 world growth from 5.8% to 5.4%. Our forecast for 2021 growth in Industrial Production has been revised […]
After 12 months of planning, countless hours of discussions about our agenda, whether we would be virtual, live or both, and agonizing over how to best conduct a safe live event not knowing what direction the pandemic would be taking – the bottom line is it’s showtime. The weather forecast is for no rain on […]
Toyota Motor Corp. is anticipating a reduction in automotive production in the range of 40-60% in North America. Except for Toyota’s San Antonio, Texas, plant, all North American vehicle assembly plants will be affected, a company spokesperson confirmed to Steel Market Update. “Due to COVID-19 and unexpected events with our supply chain, Toyota is experiencing […]
By CRU Principal Analyst Josh Spoores, from CRU’s Steel Sheet Products Monitor Sheet prices in the U.S. Midwest market have continued to rise, though the rate of increase has slowed since the end of May. The price of HR coil has increased $21 /s.ton w/w and is now $126 /s.ton higher than our assessment on […]
Daimler AG has recognized Big River Steel (BRS) for its “exceptionally sustainable” steel. The electric arc furnace (EAF) producer, a U.S. Steel subsidiary, has helped the German automaker reduce the CO2 emissions attributed to the steel used in its Mercedes-Benz products by more than 70%. Emission-free mobility is a corporate goal for Damiler, which thinks climate […]
Steel Market Update does not forecast steel prices. That’s a fact that can sometimes get lost in all the pricing data we publish. Please don’t let the good news and happy headlines you’ve been reading in SMU every week make you complacent. It’s convenient to listen to the many readers quoted in this newsletter who […]
Steel Market Update does not forecast steel prices. That’s a fact that can sometimes get lost in all the pricing data we publish. Please don’t let the good news and happy headlines you’ve been reading in SMU every week make you complacent. It’s convenient to listen to the many readers quoted in this newsletter who […]
General Motors and Stellantis have extended downtime at some of their North American plants into August because of the ongoing chip shortage. The latest development means all Detroit-area “Big Three” automakers will be grappling with shortages of semiconductors and other parts into next month. Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford – the crosstown rival of GM and Stellantis […]
General Motors and Stellantis have extended downtime at some of their North American plants into August because of the ongoing chip shortage. The latest development means all Detroit-area “Big Three” automakers will be grappling with shortages of semiconductors and other parts into next month. Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford – the crosstown rival of GM and Stellantis […]
So much for the summer doldrums. After a brief pause following Independence Day (and Canada Day), sheet prices have resumed their sharp upward trajectory. Hot-rolled coil prices are now over $1,800 per ton ($90 per cwt) while cold-rolled and galvanized base prices are above $2,000 per ton ($100 per cwt). If this pace of gains […]
Ferrous scrap prices rose by $20/GT for prime grades, but were unchanged for obsoletes, in trading for July. Prime supplies were influenced by the slowdown in automotive production, while obsolete prices reflect stable export demand. Sources tell Steel Market Update that prices in the Ohio Valley settled around $505-514/GT for shred, $500-510/GT for plate and […]
Ferrous scrap prices, like finished steel prices, have been on the rise for most of the year (see chart), but could see a pause in August. Sources tell Steel Market Update they expect obsolete grades to trade $20/GT lower next month, while prime prices will most likely remain unchanged. “Obsolete grades should trade in the […]
By CRU Senior Analyst Ryan McKinley, from CRU’s Steel Sheet Products Monitor Sheet prices in northern Europe, like in other areas of the world, have begun to decline – although prices in the USA have yet to follow this trend. Still, it appears that this upward trend in the U.S. market is nearing an end. […]