I am asking manufacturing companies if their company buys parts from China, and if so, what has the coronavirus done to shipments of their products. An ag-related company told me the workers are just returning to the plant in China after the extended holidays. I was told they were seeing at least a two-week delay […]
Steel buyers weighed in today as Steel Market Update conducted our sweep of the markets to determine where spot prices are this week, and to see what is on the minds of the buyers. Here are some of the comments made to SMU earlier today: A manufacturing company shared their perspective with these thoughts, “Where […]
Net job creation in January was an encouraging 225,000, up from 147,000 in November, but down from the exceptional result of 261,000 in October. In the January report, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) made substantial historical revisions. In this SMU analysis, we revised our data back to January 2017. Rising employment and wages are […]
January’s employment report was a downer for manufacturing, but construction was particularly strong. The net increase in employed persons was 225,000 in January, of which 108,000 were in health, education and leisure activities. In January, 44,000 jobs were created in construction and 12,000 jobs lost in manufacturing. The private sector gained 206,000 jobs in January […]
By CRU Prices Analyst Estelle Tran, from CRU’s Bulk Ferro Alloys Monitor The steel market got a stronger than expected start to the year, lifting year-to-date U.S. steel mill capability utilization to 82.1 percent—the highest level since May 2019, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. The Institute for Supply Management reported that the […]
The Port of Cleveland saw a significant decline in imports from Europe in 2019 due to tariffs and supply line disruptions. An increase in shipments from Canada, however, drove a 9 percent overall increase in cargo for the year. “Our European, cross-Atlantic imports were down approximately 35 percent, and our primary import from Europe is […]
I spent the second half of last week in Tampa where I was the master of ceremonies for the 31st Tampa Steel Conference hosted by the Port of Tampa. John Anton, IHS Markit Director of Steel Analytics / Pricing and Purchasing Service, provided the key economic and steel forecast for the group. He told the […]
The frightening coronavirus outbreak in China has disrupted manufacturing and construction, which may lead to lower steel prices. Commerce at China’s many ports has also been impacted to varying degrees, reports a Steel Market Update source in Beijing. At some Chinese ports, ships are able to berth and unberth as normal. In other locations, loading […]
By CRU’s China Steel Team, with Senior Analysts Richard Lu and Erik Hedborg. On Monday, Feb. 3, financial markets and commodity trade resumed after the extended Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday caused by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Equity markets fell sharply as fears of economic slowdown prompted investors to push the sell button. […]
Steel Market Update is pleased to share this Premium content with Executive members. For more information on how to upgrade to a Premium-level subscription, email Info@SteelMarketUpdate.com. The November and December results for construction spending are suggesting a turnaround. December’s growth rate was the best in the past 13 months. The growth of private construction almost […]
Manufacturing grew in January along with the overall economy, reported the Institute for Supply Management. ISM’s January PMI gained 3.1 points from December to register 50.9, above the crucial no-change mark of 50. New orders and production pulled from contraction to post respective index readings of 52.0 percent and 54.3 percent for the month, said […]
Global manufacturing performed slightly better in January, according the latest J.P. Morgan Global Manufacturing PMI. The composite PMI rose to a nine-month high of 50.4 from December’s reading of 50.1, although only slightly above the no-growth mark of 50.0. Consumer and intermediate goods led the increase as investment goods continued to contract further. Output rose […]
Editor’s note: The following commentary by economist Alan Beaulieu, president of ITR Economics, is excerpted from a recent blog, “A Good Day for Trade.” Beaulieu has been a popular presenter at several Steel Market Update Steel Summits and will speak once again at this year’s conference on Aug. 25 in Atlanta. Click here for more […]
Editor’s note: The following commentary by economist Alan Beaulieu, president of ITR Economics, is excerpted from a recent blog, “A Good Day for Trade.” Beaulieu has been a popular presenter at several Steel Market Update Steel Summits and will speak once again at this year’s conference on Aug. 25 in Atlanta. Click here for more […]
Both steel and scrap prices increased in the month of January, raising with them optimism levels over market conditions one month into the new year. The average price for hot rolled steel rose by about $30 per ton in January. The benchmark price for hot rolled peaked at $610 per ton in mid-January, but ended the […]
Key Market Indicators show that the improvement in market trends that occurred in December continued into January. This report is designed to be a big picture summary of data SMU has reported in detail during the month. It summarizes 36 data streams that describe the state of the steel market and provide forward guidance for […]
The Chicago Business Barometer, a leading indicator of Midwest manufacturing, dropped to its lowest level since December 2014, said MNI Indicators. The PMI posted a reading of 42.9 in January following two months of gains. The three-month average dipped to 45.9. Any reading below 50 indicates contraction. New orders fell 6.1 points to 41.5 and […]
It’s Super Bowl Sunday! I will try to keep my comments short so we can all enjoy the game and worry about the steel markets in the morning. On Thursday and Friday of this past week I was in Ponte Vedra, Fla., as I was speaking to the Steel Manufacturers Association. The SMA are the […]
The recent rise in flat rolled mill spot prices have, in Steel Market Update’s opinion based on our survey analysis, been supported by a rise in service center spot prices to their end customers. However, the analysis of last week’s flat rolled and plate steel market trends survey indicates that support for higher prices has […]
Demand is looking good for the steel industry this year, especially in the construction sector, said panel members on the Steel Manufacturers Association media call today. Dave Sumoski, Nucor Executive Vice President – Merchant and Rebar Products, noted that construction is a major area for Nucor. The market for steel bar is very strong with […]
The following article discussing the global ferrous derivatives markets was written by David Feldstein. As an independent steel market analyst, advisor and trader, we believe he provides insightful commentary and trading ideas to our readers. Note that Steel Market Update does not take any positions on HRC or scrap trading, and any recommendations or comments […]
By Principal Analyst James Campbell, from CRU’s Steel Plate Products Market Outlook The coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan has led to Chinese New Year holidays being extended and transportation restrictions introduced in order to contain the spread of the virus. Steel demand is normally weak during this period, but production continues as usual. Every day of […]
The U.S.-Mexico-Canada-Agreement was signed into law by President Trump on Wednesday. The signing clears the way for Canada to begin the ratification process that is likely to be concluded in March. The president called the agreement the “largest, fairest, most balanced, and modern trade agreement ever achieved.” “Everybody said this was a deal that could […]
The U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index, a quarterly analysis of freight volumes and spending, fell 4.0 percent in the fourth quarter after gaining a total of 10 percent in the second and third quarters. Both volumes and spending dropped during the quarter due to weaker economic activity and impacts from the international trade market. The […]
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says that tariffs on imports of autos and parts are still on the table, refuting claims that the deadline has passed to impose such measures under Section 232. After Commerce delivered its report on the national security implications of imports of foreign autos to the administration, the president had 180 days […]
Durable goods orders rose 2.4 percent in December supported by a surge in defense spending. Defense capital goods increased 90.2 percent last month primarily due to orders for defense aircraft, the Census Bureau reported. The uptick in December orders follows a sharp decline in November of 3.1 percent, revised downward from 2.1 percent. Excluding the […]
The South Central region of the U.S. created the most jobs in the fourth quarter of 2019, with the Pacific in second place, based on government employment data. Fourth-quarter regional employment data by state was released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Friday. The state data follows and confirms the employment situation that […]
Tap, tap, tap… the sound of fingers drumming on a stack of blank purchase orders. Today I spoke with a group of key steel buyers and many of them are sitting and waiting. They are waiting because they have no tons to place, they are waiting because service center resale prices have not caught up […]
The trucking industry reported a “choppy” year for truck tonnage. The American Trucking Association’s advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased for the 10th year in 2019, but at only half the gain realized in 2018. The index was up 3.3 percent compared to 6.7 percent in 2018. The SA December Index rose 4.0 […]
I have been spending time looking at market momentum, lead times (real, not from our survey), who is buying and who is not (and why), and what the market should be concentrating on over the next couple of months (not just today). I am going to start with comments I got from a couple of […]