US rig counts remain near multi-year lows, which is the territory they have been in for the last three months. Canadian counts have edged lower in the past two weeks, slipping from a six-month high earlier this month.
In a candid fireside chat with SMU Senior Analyst/Editor David Schollert, Stelco’s CEO Alan Kestenbaum opened up about Stelco’s pending sale to Cliffs, his business strategy, outlook for the industry, and plans for the future. The chat took place on Tuesday, Aug. 24, at the 2024 SMU Steel Summit in Atlanta.
CRU Aluminum Analyst Marziyeh Horeh shares a roundup of news making headlines in the aluminum markets this week.
Canada has announced a 25% tariff on Chinese steel and aluminum, along with a 100% tariff on Chinese EVs.
Canada’s government has ordered an end to the brief rail stoppage which had threatened to disrupt the movement of commodities.
Two rail providers have locked out union workers at their operations in Canada.
A work stoppage could hit Canada’s rail network as two rail companies have said they will lock out union workers on Thursday if no labor agreement is reached.
Despite this summer’s “challenging near-term pricing and uncertain macroeconomic conditions,” Algoma Steel CEO Michael Garcia said the company is focusing on what it can control: operating safely, providing exceptional customer service, and successfully executing its capital programs.
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.
Russel Metals has completed the acquisition of seven service center locations from Samuel, Son, & Co.
Canada’s steel and aluminum industries joined forces to call on the government for the imposition of tariffs on steel, aluminum, and electric vehicles.
US drill rig activity resumed its downward trend last week according to the latest data from Baker Hughes. Meanwhile Canadian counts ticked higher for the fifth consecutive week. They now stand near a five-month high.
When we last talked to Jared Rowe in May, he had just been appointed Reibus International's new CEO and chairman of the board. Now two months into the job, SMU caught up with him on our July 24 Community Chat for the latest on the online metals marketplace.
Drilling activity rose in both the US and Canada last week, according to the latest data release from Baker Hughes. US rig activity increased to a six-week high but remains near multi-year lows. Canadian counts continue to improve, now at a 20-week high.
Metalformers expect economic activity to stabilize over the next three months, according to the recently released July Business Conditions Report from the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA).
Nucor’s top executive expressed concerns over unfair trade practices, highlighting increased steel imports from Mexico and Canada.
Cleveland-Cliffs expects its acquisition of Canada’s Stelco to close later this year, which will help the the Cleveland-based steelmaker as a bottom to steel tags nears.
Cleveland-Cliffs’ earnings tumbled in the second quarter as the company cited weak demand and pricing.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, when you add in some commentary from respected peers in the steel industry to those pictures, that may shoot you up to five thousand words, at least. In that spirit, we’ve added some snapshots from our market survey this week, along with some comments from market participants.
The United Kingdom and other countries are using the “green” label to subsidize bailouts of obsolete, inefficient, and excess capacity that should exit the market. US steelmakers have invested billions of dollars in technologies that curb greenhouse gas output. These investments have been market-based and led by EAF producers such as Nucor, Steel Dynamics, and CMC.
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).
Drilling activity in the US saw a slight uptick last week but continues to hover near multi-year lows, according to the latest data release from Baker Hughes. Meanwhile Canadian counts rose for the second-consecutive week and are now at a four-month high.
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.
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, […]
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. has agreed to purchase Canada’s Stelco Holdings Inc. in a deal valued at $2.5 billion (CA$3.4 billion).
Steel is, mostly for historical reasons, a bellwether of international policy. No longer an industry of primary importance, its advocates still proclaim that it is. And steel still continues to punch above its weight in Washington, DC. Below are a few recent examples.
US drill rig activity resumed its downward trend last week, while Canadian counts increased to a four-month high, according to the latest data release from Baker Hughes.
The Mexican government said on Thursday that it had negotiated a temporary carve out for Brazilian steel in recently updated Section 232 rules. Mexico said that the pact would stretch until 2027, by which point all steel exported to the US would have to me “melted and poured” within North America.