The next three months look favorable for metalforming companies, according to the January 2022 Precision Metalforming Business Conditions Report. Only 7% of companies predict a decrease in economic activity during the period, down from 16% in December. The report shows that 37% of metalforming companies anticipate an increase in activity, up from 27% in the […]
I don’t want to lead prices down, but I don’t think it’s any secret at this point that sheet prices are falling fast. “The prophecies have been borne out,” is how one mill executive put it. What does that look like in practical terms? Some mills are offering hot-rolled coil at about $1,200 per ton […]
Steel prices saw a big dip this week as the benchmark hot rolled price dropped to $1,335 per ton. That’s down more than 30% since the September peak and the lowest HR has been since the end of March 2021. Except for plate, which was pretty stable, flat rolled prices declined anywhere from $50-90 per […]
The ongoing correction in steel prices is not a reflection of demand, which is strong now and is expected to remain so for the balance of 2022, Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) executives said. Hot-rolled coil prices are roughly in line with published price ranges of $1,300-1,400 per ton ($65-70 per cwt), although a limited number […]
NLMK USA sales slipped in the fourth quarter on expectations of lower steel prices driving buyers to the sidelines. It was not only lower consumer activity that pushed NLMK USA sales volumes and prices lower, so too did the tariff-rate quota (TRQ) agreement with the European Union – which is expected to result in additional […]
As we enter the fifth month of declining domestic steel prices, hot rolled imports continue to tempt U.S. buyers with potential discounts of 26-34%, according to Steel Market Update’s latest foreign versus domestic price comparison. Foreign hot rolled steel prices are now theoretically $365-490 per ton cheaper than domestic steel, after taking freight costs, trader […]
As we enter the fifth month of declining domestic steel prices, hot rolled imports continue to tempt U.S. buyers with potential discounts of 26-34%, according to Steel Market Update’s latest foreign versus domestic price comparison. Foreign hot rolled steel prices are now theoretically $365-490 per ton cheaper than domestic steel, after taking freight costs, trader […]
Steel mill lead times – a leading indicator of prices – continue to trend downward and are approaching what used to be considered “normal.” If lead times are nearing a point at which they may soon level off, what might that say about steel prices? Steel Market Update’s check of the market this week puts […]
By CRU Senior Prices Analyst Estelle Tran, from CRU’s Global Steel Trade Service, Jan. 20 U.S. sheet prices fell sharply in the last month, as mills had issues filling their order books and offered steep discounts to convince buyers not to book imports. Multiple buyers said that imports were $400 /s.ton lower than current domestic […]
Steel Market Update’s check of the market this week shows a few hot rolled transactions at prices below $1,400 per ton ($70 per cwt) as flat-rolled steel prices continue their correction from record highs last year. The average price for HRC dropped by another $55 per ton in the past week to $1,425 per ton. […]
Distributors who sell galvanized steel products to the construction and HVAC sectors are counting on demand remaining healthy this year to get them through a difficult period of inventory adjustments amid sharply declining steel prices. “One positive, demand is still pretty strong. We’re coming off heights we’ve never seen before,” said one member of the […]
Flat Rolled = 63.9 Shipping Days of Supply Plate = 67.1 Shipping Days of Supply Flat Rolled U.S. service center flat rolled inventories jumped in December, in line with seasonal trends. At the end of December, service centers carried 63.9 shipping days of supply on an adjusted basis, up from 57.1 in November, according to […]
Selling secondary steel isn’t what it used to be in a market niche that seems to be getting smaller. The secondary market has always been about relationships and matching customers’ needs to the nonprime material that becomes available. And in the current environment, there’s even more wheeling and dealing, sources told me this week. “It’s a […]
Total mill shipments of steel products fell 3.3% in November to 8.334 million tons, slipping for only the second time in eight months. Apparent supply rose fractionally in November, up 0.2% after eroding successively the prior two months. This analysis is based on steel mill shipment data from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and import-export […]
By CRU Principal Analyst Josh Spoores, from CRU’s Steel Sheet Products Monitor, Feb. 9 Sheet prices in the North American sheet market have continued to collapse due to a temporary supply surplus. Since prices peaked in late September/early October, the price decline for HR and HDG coil has been at a larger amount in USD […]
As widely expected, steel prices continued to slide this week with hot rolled dipping below $1,500 per ton for the first time since April 2021. The big difference being that last April the HR price was on an upward trajectory that would eventually take it to a high of $1,955 per in early September. Since […]
Commercial Metals Co. (CMC) plans to build a “micro mill” to better serve markets in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. “The new micro mill will fortify our position in the large construction markets within the region and optimize CMC’s existing Eastern U.S. operational footprint,” CMC Chairman, President and CEO Barbara Smith said. The new mill […]
Ferrous scrap prices in the Midwest saw a big $60 drop in early trading for January – a surprise in a month that historically sees scrap prices rise. While trading continues in other regions, sources tell Steel Market Update they expect the market to settle in the next few days at down $40-50/GT for obsolete […]
By CRU Research Analyst James Mills and Multi Commodity Analyst Alex Christopher, Jan. 6 The synchronized rise in commodity prices in 2021 prompted some market commentators to speculate the beginnings of a “supercycle.” At CRU, we are more cautious. In the past year, commodity prices have been more volatile than in the preceding years, with […]
Even after a 20% decline in U.S. hot rolled coil prices over the past four months, imports still offer buyers a tempting price advantage with potential discounts of 31-38%, according to Steel Market Update’s latest foreign versus domestic price comparison. Foreign hot rolled steel prices are now theoretically $483-583 per ton cheaper than domestic steel, […]
Lead times on spot orders from domestic steel mills continue to decline, with no sign yet of how soon they might level out. Declining lead times are a leading indicator of declining steel prices. The average lead time for hot rolled is now approaching four and a half weeks, while cold rolled and galvanized are […]
Where will hot-rolled coil prices be at the end of the first quarter? That’s what we asked respondents to SMU’s latest survey. And the short answer is that they’ll be lower – but there is little consensus on just how much lower. We asked this: “Hot-rolled coil prices averaged $1,600 per ton at the end […]
Steel began the New Year with the same old trend of declining prices that began four months ago. Steel Market Update’s first poll of the market in 2022 shows flat rolled and plate prices down again anywhere from $10-65 per ton. The wide spread in this week’s price ranges most likely reflects business hiccups caused […]
Steel prices declined for the fourth consecutive month in December, following a year-long streak of continuous price increases. Hot-rolled coil prices declined $130 per ton throughout the month, with the SMU index averaging $1,600 per ton ($80.00 per cwt) as of Tuesday, Dec. 21 (SMU did not published updated prices on Dec. 28). The SMU Price Momentum […]
There’s surprisingly little consensus among market participants about where steel prices will be next year, even though 2022 is just around the corner. That’s a big departure from the last 12 months, when respondents to Steel Market Update surveys were roughly in agreement on where prices would be in the future – or at the very least […]
In line with the declining steel prices, lead times for spot orders from the mills continue to shorten with the average for hot rolled now below five weeks and cold rolled and galvanized now below eight weeks, based on Steel Market Update’s check of the market on Monday and Tuesday. Lead times for all products […]
Steel Market Update’s check of the market this week – our last of 2021 prior to the holiday break – shows the benchmark price for hot rolled finishing the year around $1,600 per ton ($80/cwt). That’s down another $70 per ton from last week and a total decline of $355 or 18% since peaking at […]
Just as steel mill lead times are leading indicators of steel prices, steel industry lead times may prove to be leading indicators of price trends for other commodities. As my colleague Michael Cowden reported Wednesday during SMU’s Community Chat with Tom Derry of the Institute for Supply Management, mill lead times on spot orders of […]
By CRU Principal Analyst Josh Spoores, from CRU’s Steel Monitor, Dec. 15 Seasonal pressures are starting to temporarily slow demand for some steel products. For sheet, this weakness is adding to a monumental shift in supply fundamentals. For other products, an unseasonably warm start to December has allowed construction demand to remain stronger than normal. […]
We are quickly coming up to the Christmas and New Year’s Holidays. I hope everyone has been able to complete whatever shopping you need to do, sent out your cards and notes to your family and friends, and have ample snacks to get you through New Year’s Eve gatherings, football games, board or card games, […]