Tag: Automotive

General Motors and Hyundai Motor Co. announced they will be linking up to explore collaborating across a variety of areas, including their sourcing of steel.

Automaker Stellantis said it will invest more than $406 million in three Michigan facilities.

SMU Steel Summit 2024 speakers weighed in on an array of topics surrounding the electric vehicle movement, including advancements in technology and infrastructure, consumer adaptation, and regulatory challenges

North American auto assemblies slumped by more than 14% from June, falling to a 20-month low in July. Assemblies were also down 1.5% year on year (y/y), according to LMC Automotive data.

Former U.S. Steel executive Kenneth Jaycox is moving from steel to the automotive parts industry.

Japan’s Nippon Steel announced it was withdrawing from a joint venture (JV) with China's Baoshan Iron & Steel (Baosteel) that served the Chinese automotive industry.

A roundup of aluminum news from CRU.

On Monday and Tuesday of this week, SMU polled steel buyers on an array of topics, ranging from market prices, demand, and inventories to imports and evolving market events.

Cleveland-Cliffs’ earnings tumbled in the second quarter as the company cited weak demand and pricing.

ArcelorMittal Mexico reached an agreement with the local mining union on Thursday, July 18, to end the 55-day blockade of its steelmaking and mining facilities in Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacán. While a large majority of Section 271 of the Sindicato Nacional de Mineros voted to accept the proposal, a group of unknown size continues to protest illegally and has even turned to violence, according to the company.

Reibus International Inc. CEO and Chairman Jared Rowe will be the featured speaker on the next SMU Community Chat webinar.

US light-vehicle (LV) sales fell to an unadjusted 1.32 million units in June, down 3.4% vs. year-ago levels, the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported. The year-on-year (y/y) dip in domestic LV sales came in with a 4% month-on-month (m/m) decline.

North American auto assemblies ticked down by nearly 6% in June after reaching a nine-month high in May, according to LMC Automotive data. Assemblies were also down 1.4% year on year (y/y).

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) have just over two months left to reach a new labor agreement and avoid a strike at all Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports. However, with talks still suspended, ILA’s president says a strike looks more likely with each passing day.

The recently announced acquisition of Stelco by Cleveland-Cliffs (Cliffs), priced at nearly three times book value, provides a great price for Stelco shareholders. And various synergies will likely leave Cliffs with tremendous runway for further growth in this deal. Cliffs expects to close this deal in 2024 Q4 upon government approval. This approval is expected but not a given.

Growth in the US economy continues to be constrained. The Federal Reserve’s Beige Book report for July shows more areas reporting flat or declining economic activity than in its previous report at the end of May.

Steel Dynamics Inc.’s (SDI’s) earnings slid in the second quarter, but the company's top executive believes steel tags are set to rise.

There are just 40 days left until the 2024 SMU Steel Summit gets underway on Aug. 26 at the Georgia International Convention Center (GICC) in Atlanta. And I’m pleased to announce that it's official now: More than 1,000 people have registered to at attend! Another big development: The desktop version of the networking app for the event has officially launched!

Cleveland-Cliffs has been pursuing M&A opportunities for some time now and thinks it has found a solid partner with aligned interests in Stelco. The companies announced on Monday that Cliffs would acquire the integrated Canadian steelmaker. That same day, Cliffs held a conference call with analysts to discuss the acquisition. Lourenco Goncalves, Cliffs’ chairman, president, […]

Scrap prices came in mostly sideways in July, with prime scrap prices edging down while shredded and HMS tags ticked up slightly, scrap sources told SMU. They believe a bottom has been reached in the market.

Reibus International Inc. CEO and Chairman Jared Rowe will be the featured speaker on the next SMU Community Chat webinar. The webinar will take place on July 24 at 11 am ET. You can register here. The live webinar is free for all to attend. A recording will be available only to SMU members.

Steel Warehouse plans to expand in Jefferson City, Tenn., with an investment of ~$20 million.

Flat-rolled steel prices have been largely falling since the beginning of the year. Even after a slight bump in early April when mills tried to halt the downtrend, the decrease resumed.

North America has one of the most robust steel scrap markets in the world. The continent has a long history of steel production, significant imports of steel and steel-containing products, and mature steel consumption. Due to this, the reservoir of scrap available to be recycled each year in the US and other North American markets is substantial and growing.

It was great to have Gary Stein, CEO of Triple-S Steel, join SMU for a Community Chat earlier this week. (Btw, you can find a record of the webinar here.) We covered a lot of ground. From Andrew Carnegie and the Johnstown Flood to the current steel market and the state of domestic manufacturing broadly speaking. One thing that stuck with me was how unevenly construction spending appears to be on “green” initiatives and other key items funded by infrastructure spending, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS Act.

The Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) has lauded Canada’s decision to launch an investigation into China’s unfair trade practices in electric vehicles (EVs). However, the association hopes the government will go even further and extend the investigation into other sectors.

Worthington Steel’s earnings slipped in its fiscal fourth quarter while sales ticked up.

A cyberattack on CDK Global has shut down the systems at automotive dealerships and slowed down sales across the US.

Steel Market Update’s Steel Demand Index ticked down 2.5 points last week, slipping further into contraction territory, according to our latest survey data. SMU’s Steel Demand Index now stands at 38.5, down from 41 at the beginning of June. The decrease puts the index at its lowest measure since November 2022. The reading – down […]

Demand has remained persistently weak across the globe for sheet steel, weighing on prices. US HR coil prices fell the furthest this week as high-volume, low-priced deals were transacted as mills looked to fill order books and competed with one another amid relative demand weakness. Meanwhile, European prices were also down due to low demand […]