Steel buyers report that mills are less willing to talk price on new sheet orders than they were in weeks past, according to our most recent survey data. In contrast, mills’ willingness to negotiate on plate products remains relatively high, now at the second-highest rate of the year.
SMU’s Current Steel Buyers’ Sentiment Index fell further week, now at the lowest reading recorded since October 2022
Oil and gas drilling activity in North America slowed this week, according to the latest figures from Baker Hughes.
Galvanized buyers reported solid demand and balanced inventories this week and were anticipating the sheet price increase announced by Cleveland-Cliffs on Wednesday.
GrafTech International has appointed Timothy K. Flanagan as the company’s president and CEO, effective March 26.
A container ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26, causing it to collapse. This has blocked sea lanes into and out of Baltimore port, which is the largest source of US seaborne thermal coal exports. The port usually exports 1–1.5 million metric tons (mt) of thermal coal per month. It is uncertain when sea shipping will be restored. But it could be several weeks or more. There are coal export terminals in Virginia, though diversion to these ports would raise costs.
SMU’s sheet prices firmed up modestly this week, even as CME hot rolled futures declined. What gives? My channel checks suggest that demand remains stable and that buyers have returned to the market following new HR base prices announced by mills earlier this month. I’m looking forward to seeing whether lead times, which have stabilized, will start extending. SMU will have more to share on that front when we release updated lead time figures on Thursday. As for HR futures, what a reversal! As David Feldstein wrote last Thursday, bulls expected mill price increase announcements. And we briefly saw the May contract climb as high as ~$1,000 per short ton (st).
With the help of a large government grant, SSAB may soon expand its operations in the US – including constructing a fossil-fuel-free green ironmaking facility in Mississippi.
Algoma Steel said in guidance on Monday that an unplanned outage at its blast furnace in January will “significantly” impact its fiscal fourth-quarter results.
The LME 3-month aluminum price resumed moving lower on the morning of March 22 and was last seen trading at $2,290 per metric ton. The price was unable to break through an important resistance level at $2,300/mt on March 21. EGA to acquire European recycler Emirates Global Aluminium of the UAE has signed a binding […]
North American rig count activity declined this week, according to the latest data from Baker Hughes. The number of active rigs in the US eased from last week’s 6-month high, while Canadian activity continued to wind down.
APAC steel prices are likely to bottom out in the near term as seasonally higher demand coupled with production cuts may support prices. In the EU, prices are likely to remain under pressure, while fresh price increases are expected in the US. APAC steel prices are likely to bottom out in the near term In […]
As the month of March goes into the second half, the scrap community is trying to cope with the large drop in ferrous scrap earlier this month.
I’ve had questions from some of you lately about how we should think of the spread between hot-rolled (HR) coil prices and those for cold-rolled (CR) and coated product. Let’s assume that mills are intent on holding the line at least at $800 per short ton (st) for HR. The norm for HR-CR/coated spreads had been about $200 per short ton (st). That would suggest CR and coated base prices should be ~$1,000/st. Good luck finding anyone offering that.
A temporary surplus of rebar on the West Coast is forcing CMC to alter the planned ramp-up of its Arizona 2 micro-mill, the company's leader said on Thursday.
SMU caught up with Barry Zekelman, executive chairman and CEO of Zekelman Industries, on Wednesday’s Community Chat. As one of the largest independent steel pipe and tube manufacturers in North America, his company is also one of the largest steel buyers in the region. This year alone, the Chicago-based company will buy roughly 2.8 million tons of steel. As such, Zekelman provides a great perspective on the steel industry and the markets it serves.
CMC’s earnings slid in its fiscal second quarter vs. the same period last year as the company cited seasonal issues and challenging weather conditions in several key areas.
Earlier this week SMU polled steel buyers on an array of topics, ranging from market prices, demand, and inventories to imports and evolving market chatter.
SMU’s price for hot-rolled (HR) inched lower this week. I wouldn’t be surprised, however, if we start to see prices and lead times move higher in the weeks ahead. The modest declines in HR this week are probably the result of lingering deals cut at “old” prices, as sometimes happens after mill price increases. But those deals will probably be out of the market soon if they aren’t already. So why do I float the idea of higher prices? Some big buys have been placed. It reminds me a little of what we saw last fall, when people restocked in anticipation of higher prices once the UAW strike was resolved.
Across industries and nations, it’s clear sustainability is the path towards the future. Moving ahead means creating dialogue and building bridges. For Nucor, building bridges means reaching out to new audiences. Actually, it also literally means soon building bridges from the plate made at its Brandenburg mill in Kentucky.
Data on US industrial production, capacity utilization, new orders, and inventories remained overall steady and strong through January and February figures, indicating a healthy manufacturing sector. The strength of the manufacturing economy has a direct bearing on the health of the steel industry.
Are we still looking for a bottom on sheet prices? In what direction are steel and scrap prices headed? How’s demand holding up at the moment?
Happy St. Patrick’s Day. “To govern is to choose.” Those words, reportedly first uttered by the late French Premier Pierre Mendes-France in the 1950s, resonate vividly in our time. It means that choices have consequences and that priorities must be set based on goals. Interested parties, in and out of government, raise their voices in […]
The spot rate trend in the flatbeds has seen a positive upturn. There are potential rate accelerators and decelerators, however, likely to influence spot and contract flatbed rates. The flatbed market for spot rates is showing signs of improvement as we move through the new year. February increased slightly from January, marking the third consecutive […]
Rig counts in the US and Canada were mixed this week, according to the latest data from Baker Hughes.
The CRUspi fell by 8.3% month over month (m/m) in March to 206.6 as weaker-than-expected demand weighed on markets around the world. Price falls were notable across all regions, with elevated inventory levels pushing prices in the US and Europe, and disappointing stimulus measures from the Chinese government weighing on those in Asia.
In this Premium analysis we cover North American oil and natural gas prices, drilling rig activity, and crude oil stock levels.
Steel Market Update’s Steel Demand Index recovered out of contraction territory on the heels of the pricing blitz from mills last week, according to our latest survey data.
Flat Rolled = 56.6 Shipping Days of Supply Plate = 58.8 Shipping Days of Supply Flat Rolled After weaker-than-expected shipments in January, US service center shipments of flat-rolled steel picked up in February, which caused supply to decrease. At the end of February, service centers carried 56.6 shipping days of flat-rolled steel supply on an […]
New York state manufacturing activity slipped deeper into negative territory this month, according to the latest Empire State Manufacturing Survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.