Today, Steel Market Update adjusted our flat rolled Price Momentum Indicator to Neutral. We are of the opinion, based on intelligence we are gleaning from steel buyers, that steel prices are in transition. We no longer believe prices on hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized and Galvalume will decline over the next 30 days. However, a […]
Steel Market Update sources and other trade press and are reporting that Cleveland-Cliffs is planning to immediately idle the hot strip mill at AK Steel’s Dearborn Works in Michigan for an indefinite period, possibly permanently, in response to the coronavirus crisis and other market pressures. Cleveland-Cliffs, parent of AK Steel, declined to comment, saying the […]
It was one of those days. Publishing a newsletter is like giving birth three times a week anyway, but the labor pains for the SMU staff were particularly acute today. John Packard was ostensibly taking the day off, but that did not stop him from writing a big story and sending untold emails. Keeping abreast […]
Another iron mine is temporarily idling production. ArcelorMittal said on Tuesday that it will idle Hibbing Taconite on May 3 with plans to resume operations on July 6. “Due to the unprecedented and challenging times presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the joint venture partners of Hibbing Taconite will be idling the operation,” said ArcelorMittal in […]
Trade attorney and Steel Market Update contributor Lewis Leibowitz offers the following update on events in Washington: I hope everyone had a peaceful and, above all, safe Easter and Passover holiday. If I missed any other celebrations over the last two weeks, I hope you will accept my apology and let me know about them. […]
Extreme times require extreme measures and rigorous planning, as shown in the Cleveland-Cliffs business update on April 15. Cleveland-Cliffs claims that its liquidity is assured during the COVID-19 crisis even under “extreme stress test assumptions.” Liquidity in an extreme scenario, not including proceeds from additional financing, would reach a trough of $370 million in September […]
Cleveland-Cliffs will temporarily idle Northshore Mining in Minnesota and Tilden Mine in Michigan due to current market conditions. The iron ore supplier plans to work down current inventory from the operations to fulfill its commercial agreements with steel customers. Demand is down at U.S. steel mills, with several adjusting production due to closures in the […]
Cleveland-Cliffs will idle AK Coal due to reduced demand for coal in internal operations resulting from manufacturing shutdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company said in a statement: “Cleveland-Cliffs continues to evaluate internal operational requirements for metallurgical coal required for steelmaking. Significant reductions in manufacturing in the United States resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, […]
So, this is where we will put responses to questions, human interest items and various other “bits and pieces” that we feel will be of value to our readers. The constant news reports on the coronavirus with their rolling tallies of the number of Americans infected, and the number who have perished, are profoundly troubling. […]
Cleveland-Cliffs said it will idle all of AK Steel Mansfield operations for the next two weeks to better align production with current weakness in the automotive market. A 3-4 day maintenance outage was already scheduled for the facility and the company decided to extend it for a two-week period. AK Steel Mansfield, in north central […]
AK Steel will idle the C blast furnace at Dearborn Works beginning this week for an undetermined period of time. Dearborn has been impacted by recent shutdowns in the automotive industry and has been criticized for its handling of safety measures during the coronavirus crisis. At least one employee at Dearborn has tested positive for […]
AK Steel will idle the C blast furnace at Dearborn Works beginning this week for an undetermined period of time. Dearborn has been impacted by recent shutdowns in the automotive industry and has been criticized for its handling of safety measures during the coronavirus crisis. At least one employee at the Dearborn steel mill has […]
Cleveland-Cliffs has temporarily shut down construction activity at its hot-briquetted iron (HBI) site in Toledo, Ohio, due to the COVID-19 virus. All construction at the site will cease at the end of the business day on March 20 until further notice. Cleveland-Cliffs’ iron ore mining and steelmaking facilities will continue operations. The Toledo plant is […]
U.S. automakers are suspending production for nearly two weeks to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Ford, General Motors and FCA announced on Wednesday that they will stop all production in North America starting Thursday evening and tentatively ending March 30. “GM and the UAW have always put the health and safety of the people […]
Cleveland-Cliffs has officially closed on its acquisition of AK Steel Holding Corporation, integrating the value-added steelmaker with Cliff’s iron ore operations. The combined company will be led by Cleveland-Cliffs Chairman, President and CEO Lourenco Goncalves. “This is a new era for Cleveland-Cliffs as a producer of differentiated, high quality iron ore, metallics and steel in […]
Trade attorney and Steel Market Update contributor Lewis Leibowitz offers the following update on events in Washington: As I write today, the politics of trade are becoming clearer. I’ve often been asked to predict where things are going and how politics will affect the markets. Here goes. This election year, trade is more controversial than […]
AK Steel could be in danger of mill closures, said soon-to-be CEO Lourenco Goncalves, if stronger protection is not provided against electrical steel imports. In a warning to members of the Congressional Steel Caucus, Goncalves said the AK Steel mills in Butler, Pa., and Zanesville, Ohio, are unprofitable because of a loophole in the Section […]
Lourenco Goncalves is well known for speaking his mind. As an unconventional thinker and investor, he has put himself, and his company, at the center of the changes that are transforming the steel industry—and not for the first time in his career. The Chairman, President and CEO of Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc., will be a keynote speaker […]
North Star BlueScope reported weaker earnings in the first half of FY 2020 due to softer prices and margin spreads and normal seasonality. Sales revenue of $592 million was down 32 percent from the first half of 2019. Weaker hot rolled coil prices were partly offset by lower raw material costs. Shipments for the half […]
“Transformational” is what Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves called the acquisition of AK Steel in remarks during the Q4 2019 earnings call Thursday. “With the acquisition of AK Steel, Cleveland-Cliffs becomes the most relevant supplier of steel to the automotive industry in the United States, fully integrated from iron ore in the ground to auto parts […]
Today, we are rolling out more of our agenda for the 2020 SMU Steel Summit Conference. For more information and to register, visit: www.SteelMarketUpdate.com/Events/Steel-Summit. STEEL: DEALING WITH THE VELOCITY OF CHANGE AGENDA HIGHLIGHTS Monday, August 24, 2020 10:00 – 5:30 Conference RegistrationGeorgia International Convention Center- South Lobby 10:00 – 10:50 CME Hedging Workshop 11:10 – […]
Today, we are rolling out more of our agenda for the 2020 SMU Steel Summit Conference. For more information and to register, visit: www.SteelMarketUpdate.com/Events/Steel-Summit. STEEL: DEALING WITH THE VELOCITY OF CHANGE AGENDA HIGHLIGHTS Monday, August 24, 2020 10:00 – 5:30 Conference RegistrationGeorgia International Convention Center- South Lobby 10:00 – 10:50 CME Hedging Workshop 11:10 – […]
The Super Bowl is done, the Grammys are behind us, the Oscars selected a foreign film (Parasite from South Korea) for the first time as Best Movie. The Iowa caucus presented more questions than answers. Today is the New Hampshire primary and the first votes finally are being cast to see who the Democrats will […]
The Port of Cleveland saw a significant decline in imports from Europe in 2019 due to tariffs and supply line disruptions. An increase in shipments from Canada, however, drove a 9 percent overall increase in cargo for the year. “Our European, cross-Atlantic imports were down approximately 35 percent, and our primary import from Europe is […]
By CRU Senior Analyst Erik Hedborg, Principal Economist Lisa Morrison, Principal Analyst Josh Spoores and Senior Analyst Ryan McKinley, from CRU’s Iron Ore Market Outlook In a recent insight series, CRU highlighted some of the challenges facing the three U.S. iron ore producers, Cleveland-Cliffs, U.S. Steel and ArcelorMittal. The location of the mines and pellet plants […]
Cleveland-Cliffs has begun exchanging senior notes issued by AK Steel for notes issued by Cliffs in preparation for the acquisition of the Ohio-based steel company. “For each $1,000 principal amount of Existing AK Steel Notes validly tendered on Feb. 12, 2020 (the ‘Expiration Date’) and not validly withdrawn, Eligible Holders of Existing AK Steel Notes […]
Welcome back from the Christmas Holidays. This is the 149th Executive level issue of Steel Market Update produced during calendar year 2019. It is also anticipated to be the last Executive issue prior to the New Year. On Monday we will publish our last Premium issue of the year, our 49th for 2019. Christmas and […]
Registration for the 2020 SMU Steel Summit Conference is now open. You can register through our website: www.SteelMarketUpdate.com/Events/Steel-Summit or through the CRU website. 2020 Conference Dates: Monday, Aug. 24-Wednesday, Aug. 26 Location: Georgia International Convention Center (www.gicc.com) same location as 2019. Cost: $1,375 per person (same as 2019) with $100 per person discounts for SMU/CRU […]
After declining for much of 2019, steel prices have moved up substantially in the last two months. Will the trend continue into 2020? Flat rolled steel producers raised prices three times during October and November for a total of $110 per ton. (Editor’s note: ArcelorMittal USA announced an additional $40 flat rolled increase on Friday. […]
New rounds of flat rolled price increases began on Friday with ArcelorMittal USA and NLMK USA taking the lead at $40 per ton. My expectation is the other mills will follow on Monday and Tuesday of this week. Watch lead times – with some of the mills they are beginning to stretch. Steel Dynamics has […]