The Perfect Storm: Long lead times, late deliveries, low service center inventories, strong demand, higher prices, lack of foreign steel imports, mill outages both planned and unplanned, maximum capacity utilization rates at a number of mills, NLMK USA strike, higher ferrous scrap prices that are expected to go much higher in the coming months, restrictions […]
Flat rolled steel buyers are feeling a little skittish. Based on the results of last week’s flat rolled and plate steel market trends analysis conducted by Steel Market Update, the threat of higher prices, late mill deliveries and fear of a possible steel shortage situation are making steel buyers nervous (see article above with survey […]
Despite some initial concern that the ferrous scrap market would dip in November, scrap dealers anticipate a “strong sideways” price trend next month. “Export sales have been voluminous over the last two weeks, and prices are now about $10 off the lowest levels they fell to over the last month or so,” said a dealer […]
Scrap pricing for November is difficult to generalize with notable regional differences, but for the most part obsolete grades have traded sideways while prime grades have seen a small increase, sources tell Steel Market Update. Scrap prices for December are widely expected to move higher, lending further support to higher finished steel prices as the […]
Ferrous scrap prices are expected to see a strong finish to 2020, say the experts, rising by an estimated $35-55/GT, lending support to finished steel prices that also continue to rise. Except for some slight weakness in October, ferrous scrap prices have moved upward for the past three months, and that trend is expected to […]
Ferrous scrap prices are expected to see a strong finish to 2020, say the experts, rising by an estimated $35-55/GT, lending support to finished steel prices that also continue to rise. Except for some slight weakness in October, ferrous scrap prices have moved upward for the past three months, and that trend is expected to […]
Ferrous scrap prices saw a big jump in December, settling up by a minimum of $70/GT, with rumored sales exceeding $100/GT, report Steel Market Update sources. Scrap prices are widely expected to see further increases in January, adding ongoing support to the uptrend in finished steel prices. Scrap for December reportedly settled in the following […]
Ferrous scrap prices are expected to trade significantly higher again in January on strong demand from mills both domestic and foreign, report Steel Market Update sources. Scrap jumped by more than $70/GT in December and the uptrend is likely to continue into the new year, lending further support to higher finished steel prices. “Like many […]
Late this week with talks ongoing, it appeared ferrous scrap prices for January would settle up by another $90-100 a ton, reported Steel Market Update sources, on top of a $70-100 a ton jump in December. Complicating negotiations were the many different settled price levels in December. January will see significant increases in all prices […]
Following big jumps in December and January, ferrous scrap prices are expected to moderate in February. Steel Market Update sources predict obsolete grades could drop by $30-50/GT and prime grades by $10-20/GT due primarily to the large amount of scrap offered to the mills in January and the weakening export market. “Scrap dealers are lowering […]
While trading was still ongoing as of Friday, it appeared ferrous scrap prices for February would settle sideways for prime grades, but down for obsoletes, as shred supplies have increased and export demand has decreased. Steel Market Update sources reported the February busheling price unchanged at around $495/GT and the shred price down by $50-60 […]
Ferrous scrap prices are expected to rise anywhere from $40-70/GT in March after declines in February, lending further support to higher finished steel prices. Scrap prices are likely rise in March by at least as much as they fell in February, said CRU Senior Analyst Ryan McKinley. “The cold snap over the last few weeks […]
Schnitzer Steel, a metals recycler and steel manufacturer, maintained operations throughout the pandemic, navigating though low scrap supply and falling demand and emerging optimistic about the year ahead. “These past seven months have been challenging for all of us,” said Chairman and CEO Tamara Lundgren of Schnitzer Steel. “We have been confronted with cascading crises, […]
Steel Dynamics’ CEO Mark Millett was upbeat on the prospects for steel demand in the fourth quarter and beyond. “You can clearly see what is happening in the marketplace through one’s order book—ours is in pretty good shape,” said Millett. Flat rolled demand and momentum remain strong, inventories are at historical lows, imports continue to […]
Ferrous scrap prices for October traded sideways to slightly lower in most parts of the country, surprising the experts who had been expecting scrap to move higher for another month. “October sales have brought stable pricing for the majority in the Ohio Valley and Midwest. There seems to be a balance between supply and demand as […]
Following on a big jump in ferrous scrap in September, scrap prices are expected to move higher for obsolete grades and sideways or higher for prime grades in October, lending further support to rising finished steel prices. “Domestic steel capacity utilization and prices are rising, but the large price increase last month has not resulted […]
Steel Market Update is pleased to share this Premium content with Executive subscribers. For information on upgrading to a Premium-level subscription, email Info@SteelMarketUpdate.com. Steel Market Update performs this quarterly analysis using data from the Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau (ISSB) in the UK. We believe that to improve our understanding of the gyrations of the […]
Wholesalers who sell HVAC and galvanized steel products to the construction sector have been pleasantly surprised by the resilience of demand in a market dealing with the COVID pandemic. They have been downright shocked by the spike in galvanized steel prices, which have jumped by about $7/cwt or $140 per ton in just the past […]
Wholesalers who sell HVAC and galvanized steel products to the construction sector have been pleasantly surprised by the resilience of demand in a market dealing with the COVID pandemic. They have been downright shocked by the spike in galvanized steel prices, which have jumped by about $7/cwt or $140 per ton in just the past […]
Ferrous scrap prices exceeded even the bullish expectations heading into September as the market settled up $20-35/GT on prime scrap and up $30-55/GT on obsolescent grades, depending on the region of the country. Sources expect prices to move still higher in October, lending support to higher finished steel prices. Demand from U.S. mills picked up […]
Sentiment in the ferrous scrap markets is bullish leading into September, pointing to higher prices on both prime and obsolete scrap next month. That bodes well for the price increases on flat rolled and plate steel products announced by the mills this week. Domestic demand continues to improve as scrap yard inflows remain relatively weak. […]
Ferrous scrap prices for August were not as weak as expected, but varied widely by region. Prices on the East Coast and in the Southeast were up $30/GT due to strong export demand, while prices in other parts of the country traded sideways for obsolete grades and down $20-30 for primes, report Steel Market Update […]
Steel Dynamics, Inc. has completed its acquisition of Zimmer, a Mexican scrap recycler, as part of its raw material procurement strategy to support the new flat rolled mill it is building in Sinton, Texas. SDI plans to begin operations at the new EAF mill in mid-2021. Zimmer is headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico, and operates a ferrous and […]
Hot rolled steel prices have declined nearly every week since early June when the benchmark price was at $515 to the current average of $450 per ton–a 13 percent decline in just seven weeks. Two out of three respondents to SMU’s poll of the market a week ago said they believe flat rolled steel prices are […]
Ferrous scrap prices are likely to trade flat to down a further $20 per ton in August, following on a $20-40 drop in July, lending little support to the mills’ hopes to raise finished steel prices as the economy slowly recovers from the pandemic. CRU Senior Analyst Ryan McKinley said stronger demand for scrap exports […]
The U.S. share of global scrap trade has been increasing since Q1 2016 and in Q1 2020 was 23.3 percent. This is a quarterly analysis that SMU performs using data from the Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau (ISSB) in the UK. Some nations are slow to report, which results in the analysis being two months […]
The official opening of the SMU Virtual Steel Summit Conference is 29 days from today (Aug. 24-26). You will want to register early as we will be opening the platform during the prior week (probably Thursday and Friday) so people can get help as they practice using the platform, make appointments with other attendees and […]
The trough for steel volume, particularly for flat rolled steel, has passed and the second half looks promising, said Steel Dynamics CEO Mark Millett. Back orders are strong and order intake rates have picked up due to increasing demand as businesses resume operations following COVID-19 shutdowns. “It is still not possible to determine the full […]
Strong demand in China and easing of coronavirus restrictions in various parts of the world are lending support to global raw materials prices. Ferrous scrap prices are the notable exception as supplies have increased at a greater rate then demand, sending prices for both prime and obsolete grades downward. Table 1 summarizes the price changes […]
We are seeing further erosion in flat rolled steel pricing this week with the possible exception of Galvalume. Our sources are advising that hot rolled numbers are being offered in the low $400’s for tons. As capacity reopens at integrated mills, the possibility exists for HRC prices to breach the $400 per ton level for […]