Tag: infrastructure

Construction spending in the US picked up in September and maintained a notable year-over-year (y/y) rise.

SMU Steel Summit 2024 speakers weighed in on an array of topics surrounding the electric vehicle movement, including advancements in technology and infrastructure, consumer adaptation, and regulatory challenges

“The US economy, despite some near-term weakness I suggest in early 2025, is going to be strong," Dr. Anirban Basu said this week.

CRU Principal Analyst Henry Hao discusses China's recently reconfigured policy agenda, which could have significant implications for the global commodity markets.

Nucor has lowered the 2024 production estimate for its Brandenburg, Ky., plate mill due to soft market conditions.

SSAB said lower plate prices in the US were the primary reason for reduced results in the second quarter. With a dismal Q3 outlook, the Swedish steelmaker is adjusting production across its facilities. That includes moving up its annual US mill outage in anticipation of a better Q4. SSAB Americas Revenues in the Americas segment […]

The United Auto Workers (UAW) and United Steelworkers (USW) unions have thanked President Biden for his service following his announcement that he is no longer seeking re-election.

Cleveland-Cliffs is starting a new electrical distribution transformer production plant in Weirton, W.Va.

Steel Dynamics Inc.’s (SDI’s) earnings slid in the second quarter, but the company's top executive believes steel tags are set to rise.

Global Plate prices declined in all regions this week amid slow seasonal demand. With bearish outlooks on demand in the near term, market participants are watching how mills will react to low order entry levels and short lead times. In the US and China, production has been steady, but in Europe, steel mills are contemplating […]

Renewable energy infrastructure, including wind turbines, solar farms, and electric-vehicle charging stations, requires substantial amounts of steel. The domestic steel industry, with its capacity to produce world-class steel with the world’s smallest carbon footprint, should be at the forefront of this supply chain. Yet the United States is increasingly importing steel from abroad to meet its renewable energy needs.

Flood-level waters have prompted the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to close locks on the Mississippi River.

A record 60.6 million people are expected to travel by car for the Fourth of July holiday, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). And a recent survey by The Vacationer said 75% of Americans intend to take at least one road trip this summer. In short, Americans are hitting the road this season and probably crossing a short-span steel bridge on their travels.

Most longs prices in the US were unchanged this month, except for rebar, which declined by $1.50/cwt ($30/short ton) m/m. While end-use demand is stable, inventories are well-stocked, keeping purchases limited. Domestic availability is sufficient to meet current demand, hindering the appetite for imported material. Meanwhile, prices for scrap remained under pressure in June, with […]

Domestic plate prices have been on a historic run since they began surging in January 2021. Tags reached an all-time high of $1,940 per short ton (st) in May 2022, though they have mostly trended lower over the past two years.

It was great to have Gary Stein, CEO of Triple-S Steel, join SMU for a Community Chat earlier this week. (Btw, you can find a record of the webinar here.) We covered a lot of ground. From Andrew Carnegie and the Johnstown Flood to the current steel market and the state of domestic manufacturing broadly speaking. One thing that stuck with me was how unevenly construction spending appears to be on “green” initiatives and other key items funded by infrastructure spending, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS Act.

A press conference at a Cleveland-Cliffs mill in Ohio touched upon several topics, including the unfair trade practices of Mexico and China and Nippon Steel’s proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel.

Nucor plans to add a new rebar fabrication facility adjacent to its new micro-mill in North Carolina.

The city of Quincy, Wash., in Grant County is being considered among possible locations for Nucor’s proposed rebar micro-mill in the Pacific Northwest, according to a local report.

JSW Steel USA plans to invest $110 million in steel plate mill modernization projects with sustainable technology in its Baytown, Texas, facility.

Steel Dynamics Inc. guided to significantly reduced second-quarter earnings as its steel operations have taken a hit from lower prices.

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.

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

Let's take a collective deep breath ::in:: and ::out::... And we're back. But where exactly are we? Are steel prices going up or down? Is demand really decelerating or is it an illusion? How is the market navigating the new mill pricing mechanisms?

Steel Market Update’s Steel Demand Index fell five points to a 12-month low and moving further into contraction territory, according to our latest survey data.

The CRU US Midwest hot-rolled (HR) coil index is a dominant and established price benchmark in the US. Many steel-buying contracts are linked to ‘the CRU,’ as it’s commonly called. But how does it work?

SMU had the pleasure of attending the American Iron and Steel Institute's (AISI's) annual general meeting in Washington this week. It was a slow week in our nation's capital, so we were able to take a leisurely stroll around the National Mall and take in the sights. Just kidding. In fact, the meeting coincided with significant trade actions announced by the Biden administration. It included, among other things, additional tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum.

The China Iron and Steel Association (Cisa) has urged steel producers to cut back on record high inventories while the sector struggles with oversupply.

Last week we wrote about a brief lull in price movement, labeling it a period of wait and see. It did, in fact, turn out to be pretty brief. This week... things are little bit different. Perhaps right now we are more in a period of "hope and pray" or "Here we go, hold on to your hats."

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.