Flat Rolled = 41.8 Shipping Days of Supply Plate = 42.8 Shipping Days of Supply Flat Rolled U.S. service center flat rolled inventories remain low, though steel mills are starting to catch up on delayed orders. Service centers carried 41.8 shipping days of supply at the end of April, flat compared to March’s adjusted inventory […]
Mill shipments of steel products improved by 18.3% in March compared to the month prior, while apparent supply increased by 18.1% during the same period. The double-digit gains are even more impressive considering their low performance in February, the first decline in both apparent supply and shipments of steel since the market reached bottom back in […]
This report examines the import share of sheet and plate products. Imports’ share of total sheet product shipments was 12.7% in March, down from 14.0% in February. The decrease corresponds to a simultaneous increase in domestic shipments and a rise in imports; however, the surge in domestic shipments at 17.4% month on month outpaced the […]
This report examines the import share of tubular and long products shipments. Imports’ share of total tubular products rose to 46.2% in March, up from 44.6% in February. Despite a 30.7% surge in domestic tubular shipments month on month, imports were even stronger at 39.3% in March compared to February. Tubular imports fell consecutively in […]
February apparent steel supply slipped 500,000 tons or 6.3% from the 10-month high seen in January, now at 7.51 million net tons, according to the latest U.S. Department of Commerce and American Iron and Steel Institute data. Although down from the month prior, February supply is at the third highest level seen in the last […]
Mill shipments of steel products fell 9.8% month on month in February, while apparent supply was down by 12.5% during the same period. This is the first noticeable decrease in both apparent supply and shipments of steel since the market reached bottom back in May 2020. Mill shipments were down by 13.1% year on year, […]
This report examines the import share of sheet and plate products. Imports’ share of total sheet product shipments was 14.0% in February, up from 9.7% in January. The increase corresponds to a simultaneous decrease in domestic shipments and a rise in imports. Domestics shipments in February totaled 3.84 million tons, the lowest mark since this […]
This report examines the import share of tubular and long products shipments. Imports’ share of total tubular products rose to 44.6% in February, up from 42.5% the month prior, but primarily due to a 9.7% decrease in domestic tubular shipments overall. Tubular imports decreased for the third consecutive month in February. Long products import market […]
In the famous words of Isaac Newton, “what goes up must come down.” While he was not referring to steel prices per se, the sentiment still holds true. Steel tags can’t stay at record highs indefinitely. Supply will eventually catch up with demand. What happens then? Will prices see a sharp correction or a gradual […]
In the famous words of Isaac Newton, “what goes up must come down.” While he was not referring to steel prices per se, the sentiment still holds true. Steel tags can’t stay at record highs indefinitely. Supply will eventually catch up with demand. What happens then? Will prices see a sharp correction or a gradual […]
The U.S. steel market could lose one million tons of production in the months ahead because of several lengthy blast furnaces outages, and the volume of iron and steel impacted could be well over one million tons when shorter-duration electric-arc furnace (EAF) and hot strip mill outages are considered. The issue is particularly relevant because […]
U.S. apparent steel supply rebounded to a 10-month high in January, up 2.9% to 8.01 million net tons, according to the latest U.S. Department of Commerce and American Iron and Steel Institute data. This is the highest level seen since March 2020 when apparent supply was 8.63 million tons. Recall that April and May of […]
This report examines the import share of sheet, plate, long and tubular products. As of January, imports’ share of total sheet products was 12.8%, up marginally from 12.3% in December. Although minimal, imports of sheet products have posted increases for two consecutive months after declining for seven consecutive months following the most recent peak of 16.6% […]
Steel Market Update is pleased to share this Premium content with Executive members. For information on upgrading to a Premium-level subscription, email Info@SteelMarketUpdate.com. Mill shipments of steel products rose 6.9% month on month in January, while apparent supply was up by nearly 13.5% during the same period. Despite the continued growth month over month since […]
Mill shipments and supply of sheet products rose by nearly 6.5% month on month in December, a positive close to 2020. Plagued earlier on by COVID, sheet shipments stalled in last year’s second quarter. After reaching bottom in June, they have climbed steadily since. This analysis is based on steel mill shipment data from the […]
U.S. apparent steel supply rebounded significantly in December, up 6.4% to 7.79 million net tons, according to the latest U.S. Department of Commerce and American Iron and Steel Institute data. While supply levels have improved each month since May, recall that April and May were the two lowest levels seen in the last 10 years […]
This report examines the import share of sheet, plate, long and tubular products. As of December 2020, imports’ share of total sheet products was 12.3%, up from 11.4% in November. The increase, albeit marginal, is notable as it’s the first increase for imports after declining for seven consecutive months following the most recent peak of 16.6% in […]
Nucor, the industry’s largest steelmaker, is expecting a significant increase in earnings in the first quarter of 2021 following a strong fourth quarter with net earnings of $398.8 million. Fourth-quarter earnings outpaced the third quarter at $193.4 million and Q4 2019 at $107.8 million due primarily to higher pricing at Nucor’s sheet and plate mills. […]
U.S. apparent steel supply continued its upwards crawl in November, up 0.4 percent to 7.32 million net tons, according to the latest U.S. Department of Commerce and American Iron and Steel Institute data. While supply levels have improved each month since May, recall that April and May were the two lowest levels seen in the […]
This report examines the import share of sheet, plate, long and tubular products. As of November 2020, imports’ share of total sheet products was 11.4 percent, down from 11.8 percent in October. Imports’ share has been on a steady decline since its most recent peak of 16.6 percent this past May. The import share of […]
The upward trend in mill shipments and supply of sheet products continues, although the pace fell off as the fourth quarter carried on. After reaching bottom in June, as a result of the global pandemic, mill shipments and supply maintained a slow but steady upward trajectory through November 2020. This analysis is based on steel […]
This report examines the import share of sheet, plate, long and tubular products. As of October 2020, imports’ share of total sheet products was 11.8 percent, down from 16.6 percent in May and from a recent high of 22.9 percent in 2015. The import share of HRC has been below 10 percent since January 2019, […]
After reaching bottom in June, due largely to the global pandemic, mill shipments and supply of sheet products have since maintained a slow but steady upward trajectory. This analysis is based on steel mill shipment data from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and import-export data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The analysis […]
Editor’s note 11/17/20: The data in the “Supply Tons YTD” column on Table 3 didn’t populate correctly, and therefore, was in error. Table 3 has now been updated accordingly. Mill shipments and supply of sheet products continue to see slight yet steady growth since reaching bottom in June. This analysis is based on steel mill […]
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 […]
U.S. apparent steel supply remained flat from August to September, up 0.4 percent to 7.19 million net tons, according to the latest U.S. Department of Commerce and American Iron and Steel Institute data. While supply levels have improved each month since May, recall that April and May were the two lowest levels seen in the […]
Editor’s note 11/3/20: Some of the data as originally published in Table 1 was incorrect due to a spreadsheet error (specifically the change in shipments 3M Y/Y column). The table has been updated with the correct information below. Mill shipments and supply of sheet products have turned, albeit slightly, since reaching bottom in […]
U.S. apparent steel supply continued it’s recovery in August, up 2.6 percent from July to 7.17 million net tons, according to the latest U.S. Department of Commerce and American Iron and Steel Institute data. While supply levels have improved each month since May, recall that April and May were the two lowest levels seen in […]
By CRU Prices Analyst Estelle Tran, from CRU’s Global Steel Trade Service A combination of increased seasonal demand, low service center inventories, unplanned outages, spike in scrap prices and government restrictions on Brazilian slab imports have added fuel to the usual seasonal uptick and turned it into a surge. After reaching a bottom in mid-August, […]
Flat Rolled = 55.5 Shipping Days of Supply Plate = 54.7 Shipping Days of Supply Flat Rolled Service centers pared down flat-rolled steel supply in July to 55.5 shipping days of supply, according to preliminary data, down from 62.5 in June’s adjusted data. Inventories represented 2.52 months of supply in July, down from 2.84 in […]