Tag: Construction

Mexican steelmaker Deacero recently broke ground on a $600-million mini-mill in Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, in northern Mexico.

Where do sheet prices go from here? How is the state of steel demand? And is the dip in prices we've seen just a case of the summer doldrums, or is it something more significant?

Now that June has arrived, the official countdown until SMU’s Steel Summit 2024 – North America’s premier flat-rolled steel conference – has begun. If you haven’t already registered, don’t delay. More than 700 attendees from more than 300 companies have already registered to be in Atlanta this August. In short, it’s poised to be another […]

Interest rate stability and growing owner and developer confidence helped push the Dodge Momentum Index (DMI) higher in May.

Sufficient inventories resulting in softer demand continued to drag down US longs prices this month. Furthermore, lower scrap prices in May added to the downward pressure and expectations for June scrap are turning increasingly bearish. Import interest was also limited, particularly as competition among domestic producers rose.

When it comes to steel decarbonization, we do not need to compromise our climate ambition to make the types of demanding steel products needed for our 21st-century economy. Nevertheless, many of the world’s highest-emitting steel producers and their allies would have you believe that one cannot be done without the other. They are wrong. They […]

We’re just a few months away from SMU’s Steel Summit 2024 – North America’s premier flat-rolled steel conference.

Steel sheet prices across most regions of the world were little changed this week. European buyers remain cautious regarding their outlook towards end-use demand and largely remained out of the market. A similar trend was seen across Asia, although skepticism on real estate stimulus measures in China led to w/w price falls. In the US, […]

The major steel-handling port in Burns Harbor, Ind., is getting substantial infrastructure upgrades.

Prices for galvanized products have fallen from last month, and many market participants expect tags to continue their descent or at best remain flat in the month ahead.

U.S. Steel has celebrated the launch and “operational readiness” of its direct reduced (DR)-grade pellet production facility in Minnesota.

The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Deltek indicated architecture firm billings remained soft through April

US housing starts ticked up through April following March’s dip, according to the latest data release from the US Census Bureau.

President Biden announced an increase in tariffs this week on Chinese EVs, semiconductors, batteries, solar cells, steel, and aluminum.

The recent decline in US hot-rolled (HR) coil and longs prices has further restricted demand for imported material. Despite the decline in US sheet prices, CR coil and HDG imports remain attractive. While demand for imports of longs products has been limited, buyers have increased imports of wire products to avoid wire rods’ higher tariffs. […]

Mexican steelmaker Talleres y Aceros (TYASA) broke ground this month on the construction of a new special bar quality (SBQ) rolling mill in the state of Veracruz.

SMU surveyed our market contacts this week about steel prices, demand, and the overall marketplace. Below are some of the buyers' responses in their own words to help you get a feel for current and future market conditions. Demand is a big topic of discussion currently. Is it steady, falling, or on the upswing with summer construction heating up? As you can see from the answers below, it depends on who you ask. One buyer’s response sums it up pretty well: “I still see the marketplace as soft/stable with some segments busy, while others tread water.”

What's the tea in the steel industry this week? Here's the latest SMU gossip column! Just kidding... kind of. Yes, some of the comments we receive in our weekly flat-rolled market steel buyers' survey are honestly too much to put into print. Some make us laugh. Some make us cringe. Some are cryptic. Most are serious. We appreciate them all. Below are some highlights from our survey results this week. Some of the comments that we can share with you are also included, in italics, in the buyers' own words, with minimal editing on our part.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) appropriated more than $4 billion to the General Services Administration (GSA) and Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) for “Buy Clean” programs. The statute makes clear that GSA and FHWA purchases under these programs are limited to those with “substantially lower” emissions. There is no ambiguity in that requirement. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has defined “substantially lower” to mean products with the lowest 20% of embodied emissions when compared to similar materials.

Steel Market Update’s Steel Demand Index fell eight points, and back into contraction territory, an indication demand might be slipping as prices have trended lower, according to our latest survey data.

Japanese steelmaker JFE Holdings will invest abroad as part of a drive to lift income, says group president Yoshihisa Kitano.

Steel prices trickled lower across the month of April for both sheet and plate products.

Stelco reported a positive start to 2024 in its first-quarter earnings report on Thursday. And with steady demand and a stable market, the Canadian flat-rolled steelmaker is optimistic for the remainder of the year.

Thyssenkrupp Materials Services is continuing its expansion in North America. It announced the opening of a new steel service center in Sinton, Texas, to primarily serve the automotive, HVAC, and construction markets.

A surge in data center project planning pushed the Dodge Momentum Index (DMI), a leading indicator for the nonresidential construction sector, higher in April.

Construction spending in the US in March was basically steady from the previous month but showed notable year-on-year (y/y) growth.

Hybar has big plans for entering the American steel market. Although it is the newest player in the US rebar market, the startup is led by an experienced, nimble, and ambitious team, and backed by investors with deep pockets. Industry titan and Hybar CEO David Stickler joined SMU Managing Editor Michael Cowden on Wednesday’s Community Chat to update the SMU community on the company’s first mill, and its grand plans for the future.

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 chatter.

An important economic indicator for the nonresidential construction industry declined in March to its lowest point in more than three years.

What a difference a month makes. In late March, it seemed like the US hot-rolled (HR) coil market was poised to cycle upward. Large buyers had re-entered the market and placed big orders earlier in the month. Several outages were underway or upcoming. And expectations were that lead times would continue to extend. Cliffs said […]