ITR Economics prides itself on keeping the hyperbole out of its economic analysis. Proper interpretation of the facts is fundamental. In a recent ITR blog, popular economist Alan Beaulieu pointed to “facts” cited by a recent speaker to illustrate his point. Beaulieu will make another appearance as a keynote presenter for Steel Market Update’s premier […]
Global steel production grew by 3.8 percent in the three months through February. Excluding China, the pace of growth for world steel production was 3.2 percent, according to the latest Steel Market Update analysis of World Steel Association data. In 2017, total global steel production hit 1.687 billion metric tons, up by 5.2 percent from […]
The world’s scrap trade continues to expand as the growth of global GDP accelerates. Steel Market Update performs this analysis quarterly to help readers understand the gyrations of the global scrap market. This data is a quarter in arrears because some nations are slow to report. In the 12 months of 2017, U.S. scrap exports increased […]
“The trend is our friend,” said Lourenco Goncalves, the chief executive of Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc., pointing to the growth of electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking around the world. Cliffs is on track for commercial production of hot briquetted iron (HBI) by mid-2020 at its facility under construction in Toledo, Ohio, he told executives at S&P Global […]
The construction industry continues to add jobs despite a shortage of skilled workers, said the Associated General Contractors of America. In an analysis of Labor Department data, AGC said 35 states and the District of Columbia added jobs between February 2017 and February 2018, while 38 states added construction jobs between January and February. Association […]
Billings slowed slightly at architecture firms in February, reported the American Institute of Architects. AIA’s Architecture Billings Index (ABI) registered 52.0, down from 54.7 in January. February’s reading above 50 marked the fifth consecutive month of growth for billings. Inquiries into new projects and the value of new signed design contracts both increased in February, […]
The following article was written by trade attorney Lewis Leibowitz. You can find his contact information at the end of the article: John Packard asked me to respond to questions from SMU readers about the new procedures for requesting steel product exclusions from the tariffs scheduled to go into effect at midnight Friday morning. The […]
Details on how to request an exclusion from the Trump administration tariffs on steel and aluminum will be published in the Federal Register tomorrow. We received a copy of the exclusion procedure and some comments from trade attorney Lewis E. Leibowitz. President Trump, using his authority under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of […]
Steel Dynamics expects stronger results in the first quarter based on higher shipments and metal scrap expansion. Steel pricing is expected to more than offset scrap costs during the quarter. Steel pricing has been supported throughout the first quarter by robust demand, said SDI. “Based on strong steel demand fundamentals and customer optimism, the company […]
Housing starts fell 7.0 percent in February, driven by a 26 percent plunge in multifamily housing construction, according to data from the Department of Commerce. Total housing starts were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.24 million units. Single-family housing starts rose 2.9 percent in February to a rate of 902,000. “The uptick in […]
The competitive position of steel and steel products has improved in the last few months, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data. In the past, we have reported the producer price indexes of steel and some competing products on a quarterly basis. This month, we have revamped and expanded our report to provide subscribers […]
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released another excellent employment report for February and revised the two previous months upward. February’s net creation of 313,000 jobs as reported by the BLS on March 9 was the best monthly result since July last year. To make the recent results even better, December was revised up by 15,000 […]
Net job creation in March, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Friday, dropped by 64 percent from February, but this was not as bad as it first looks. Figure 1 shows the 3MMA of the number of jobs created monthly since 2000 as the brown bars and the total number employed […]
The Associated General Contractors of America warn that tariffs on aluminum and steel will drive construction costs up. The February report from AGC follows: Construction costs escalated in February, driven by price increases for a wide range of building materials including steel and aluminum, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America […]
The Associated General Contractors of America warn that tariffs on aluminum and steel will drive construction costs up. The February report from AGC follows: Construction costs escalated in February, driven by price increases for a wide range of building materials including steel and aluminum, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America […]
Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between January 2017 and January 2018, according to an analysis of Department of Labor data by the Associated General Contractors of America. “It is noteworthy that the three states with the largest job gains were all recovering from natural disasters, in addition to having generally […]
President Trump made headlines this week when he slapped a 25 percent tariff on steel imports from all nations except Canada and Mexico. His rationale is that the U.S. should treat other countries the way they treat us. Steel Market Update has heard many incorrect statements about how the rest of the industrialized world treats […]
Shipping in the freight market was significantly better in the first quarter than it was during the same period last year, said MID-SHIP Group in its March 8 report. New ships are on order that will not hit the market until the end of 2109 or 2020 and for now the freight market remains bullish. […]
President Trump made headlines this week when he slapped a 25 percent tariff on steel imports from all nations except Canada and Mexico. His rationale is that the U.S. should treat other countries the way they treat us. Steel Market Update has heard many incorrect statements about how the rest of the industrialized world treats […]
Construction employment increased by 61,000 jobs in February to the highest level since June 2008 as rising pay rates enabled the industry to attract more workers, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials, however, cautioned that the Trump administration’s newly imposed steel and aluminum tariffs […]
Ferrous scrap prices have risen at a greater rate than expected by sources quoted in Steel Market Update last month. Scrap guru Mike Marley of World Steel Exchange Marketing reports that recent price increases have varied by region to region, and even within a few regions. In the North, shredded and cut grades are up […]
Reaction to the official announcement and signing of the Section 232 proclamation brought swift reaction from the industry and Congress. Opinions ranged from unwavering support, “the era of American trade surrender is coming to an end,” to total dismay, “the sweeping tariffs announced today are like dropping a bomb on a flea.” Supporting the 25 […]
Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull warned that the steel and aluminum tariffs planned by President Trump will have consequences for construction in California. Australian producer BlueScope sends about 300,000 metric tons of steel slabs per year to its Steelscape facilities in California and Washington where it is transformed into metallic-coated and pre-painted steel used in […]
The Dodge Momentum Index, a monthly forecast of nonresidential construction, increased just 0.5 percent in February. The marginal increase was due to an 8.2 percent rise in the institutional component that was offset by a 4.8 percent contraction in the commercial component. Dodge says that although the commercial component has declined for two months straight, […]
The threats of Section 232 tariffs and the possible withdrawal of the United States from NAFTA have not swayed ArcelorMittal from its commitment to invest $1 billion in its Mexican operations. In a statement reported on Friday, a spokesman for the integrated steelmaker said the company has no intention of changing its plans for Mexico, […]
Ryerson, a processor and distributor of metals, posted sales of $3.4 billion for 2017, a 17.7 percent increase year over year due to an 11.9 percent increase in the average selling price and a 5.1 percent gain in volume. Net income was $17.1 million for the year. Gross margins decreased to 17.3 percent in 2017 […]
Construction spending was unchanged from January compared to December, said the Associated General Contractors of America in its analysis of new government data. “Construction spending in January showed a mixed pattern, with noteworthy increases in public outlays and single-family homebuilding balancing out declines in private nonresidential and multifamily investments,” said AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson, […]
The growth of total construction on a rolling 12-month basis year over year has slowed every month from January 2017 through January 2018. On a rolling three-month year-over-year basis, the situation is better, with growth improving every month from September through January. Hopefully, this trend will continue. Construction expenditures data is developed by the Department […]
Key market indicators, and the trends they reveal, are the best they have ever been in Steel Market Update’s analysis. Data released in February shows that 18 of the 36 indicators are historically positive with only six negative. The balance is within the band of historically normal. Trends improved with 32 of the indicators heading […]
Global steel production grew by 2.7 percent in the three months through January, though the pace of growth continued to be slowed by pollution control restrictions in China. Excluding China, the pace of growth for world steel production was 4.8 percent, according to the latest Steel Market Update analysis of World Steel Association data. On […]