Section 232 tariffs and quotas have left domestic steelmakers and steel consumers in sharply different realities. One side is investing big at home and enjoying record profits. The other is angry about sharply higher costs and is scouting for more steel abroad. That was the takeaway from a trade roundtable at Steel Market Update’s virtual Tampa […]
NLMK USA and striking United Steelworkers at the mill’s operations in western Pennsylvania remain at loggerheads nearly five and a half months after the labor action began. “As of now, we remain far apart with the union. We continue to meet in good faith working towards a resolution,” NLMK USA President and CEO Robert D. Miller said […]
NLMK USA has sued U.S. Steel for at least $100 million to recoup Section 232 tariffs it claims were unjustly levied against it because of a “deception” perpetrated by the integrated steelmaker against the Commerce Department. In addition, the U.S. subsidiary of NLMK Group–Russia’s largest steelmaker–seeks a jury trial, additional damages to be determined at […]
NLMK USA turned in a dismal quarter after cutting production in response to a months-long strike at the Pennsylvania mill and a dearth of duty-free slabs from the import market. Year-over-year, quarterly sales plummeted 22 percent to 370,000 metric tons and total sales for 2020 plunged 27 percent to 1.6 million MT, the company reported. […]
Steel prices surging to their highest levels ever has masked another potentially key market trend–a narrower spread between hot-rolled coil and galvanized base prices, according to Steel Market Update (SMU) data. SMU’s hot-rolled coil price averages $1,130 per ton ($56.50/cwt), $60 per ton above 2008’s peak of $1,070 per ton. The base price for galvanized […]
Update on Tampa Steel Conference registrations: We are moving past 250 registered attendees for the Feb. 2 virtual conference. We fully anticipate the 32nd annual Tampa Steel Conference will attract 350-400+ attendees from manufacturing, distribution, steel mills, trading companies, logistics companies, ship lines, port facilities, toll processors and suppliers to those industries. You can learn more about the […]
NLMK USA and striking workers at its operations in western Pennsylvania appear no closer to a labor accord than they were more than four months ago. And the two sides remain at loggerheads despite near-record hot-rolled coil prices and despite slab being available following the reset of the Section 232 quota on Brazilian semi-finished goods. […]
Brazil’s annual Section 232 slab quota has reset, a move that is likely to at least partially relieve a supply squeeze that has sent U.S. sheet prices to their highest point in more than 12 years. Brazil’s Section 232 slab quota for 2021 is approximately 3.86 million tons, according to information from U.S. Customs and […]
Brazil’s annual Section 232 slab quota has reset, a move that is likely to at least partially relieve a supply squeeze that has sent U.S. sheet prices to their highest point in more than 12 years. Brazil’s Section 232 slab quota for 2021 is approximately 3.86 million tons, according to information from U.S. Customs and […]
As we enter the New Year registrations are starting to accelerate for the 32nd annual Tampa Steel Conference which will be held virtually on February 2nd of this year. We currently have 150 registrations, and we expect 300-500 attendees once the conference opens. Here are the companies registered. Those with an asterisk (*) next to […]
As we enter the New Year, registrations are starting to accelerate for the 32nd annual Tampa Steel Conference to be held virtually on Feb. 2. We currently have close to 200 registrations, and we expect 400-500 attendees once the conference opens. Here are the companies registered. Those with an asterisk (*) next to their name means they […]
Let’s play “fun facts.” Last week Steel Market Update published our average hot rolled spot price as $885 per ton ($44.25/cwt). With the domestic steel mills asking $900-$960 per ton for new orders of spot (if they are offering at all, which is a separate issue all by itself) SMU expects HRC spot prices to […]
Let’s play “fun facts.” Last week Steel Market Update published our average hot rolled steel spot price as $885 per ton ($44.25/cwt). With the domestic steel mills asking $900-$960 per ton for new orders of spot (if they are offering at all, which is a separate issue all by itself) SMU expects HRC spot prices […]
Yesterday (Wednesday, Dec. 2) we hosted one of our SMU Community Chat Webinars. The guest speaker was Josh Spoores, Principal Analyst and editor of the Sheet Monitor for CRU. I thought it was one of the best presentations and discussions we have ever had at one of our webinars. You can see a recording and […]
It is Tuesday, Dec, 1, 2020, and the U.S. has just returned from Thanksgiving. I hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend and did what was necessary to remain safe as we wait for the COVID-19 vaccines to be distributed around the world. There is a light at the end of this long journey we have […]
The thought of a possible steel shortage gained new ground this past week as news of spreading coronavirus infections at ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor, the breakout at the No. 2 caster at Dofasco, the slow return of production at Stelco due to a hack of their computer systems, and the continued strike at the NLMK USA […]
NLMK USA has reached a settlement with the U.S. government regarding its challenge to the denial of Section 232 exclusions on steel slab imports. NLMK USA filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade in February 2020, covering 86 requests for slab exclusions submitted by the company in 2018. NLMK USA argued that […]
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 […]
The SMU Steel Price Momentum Indicators on all flat rolled and plate steel products are currently pointing toward higher prices over the next 30 days. We expect hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized, Galvalume and steel plate pricing to increase during the coming weeks. The two major reasons for our position are the limitations of supply […]
My “final thoughts” provide me an opportunity to give my opinions on a wide range of topics. Some are directly steel related and some are not. The question we are all asking ourselves today is what will a Biden administration mean for business? Here are some thoughts I picked up from my reading over the […]
For those of us who live in the United States, today should be one where we recognize we have expressed our opinions about politics and politicians with our vote. We recognize the strength of our democracy is rooted in the belief that we are all Americans no matter our political ilk. To believe otherwise only […]
COVID-19 cases appear to be surging again, and we asked steel buyers to advise if they were seeing any changes to their business due to the new cases. Most reported no impact from the virus, but there were concerns about what government might do if cases continue to rise. No one wants another shutdown of […]
Sales at NLMK USA plunged 33 percent year-over-year in the third quarter of 2020 due to lower production resulting from the strike at NLMK Pennsylvania. Compared to the previous quarter, USA sales jumped 11 percent to 370,000 metric tons following the completion of repairs at NLMK Indiana and recovery in steel demand. Weak steel consumption […]
I have been communicating with Mark Bush, CEO of JSW Steel USA, regarding their Mingo Junction steel plant. The plant has been down since late July as the company reacted to “unforeseeable business circumstances in connection with the current COVID-19 pandemic….” The plant has been rumored to begin operations in February 2021. SMU reached out […]
Steel Market Update has had conversations/communications with Robert Miller, CEO and James Banker, Jr., Executive Vice President of NLMK USA as we endeavor to learn more about the status of the strike against the Farrell, Pennsylvania facility, status of slabs for the Farrell mill, and gain a better understanding of the general flat rolled steel […]
The strike by United Steelworkers Local 1016-03 at NLMK Pennsylvania is in its second week. NLMK issued a press release on Tuesday addressing some of the questions the public has asked regarding operations and negotiations. The facility in Farrell continues to operate, manned by salaried employees. The company is finishing production of coils that were […]
A strike at NLMK Pennsylvania turned ugly last week when a news reporter was thrown into the street by picketers while trying to take photos. While likely a one-off incident, the confrontation highlights the tension among workers trying to negotiate a contract during a time of economic uncertainty. “We understand emotions can run high on […]
First, the link to the SMU Steel Summit Virtual Conference platform is www.smusteelsummit2020.com From there you enter your email address and the password which was sent to you. Here is what you can expect to happen on Monday, Aug. 24. There will be people available live on the site to assist you (green button in […]
First, the link to the SMU Steel Summit Virtual Conference platform is www.smusteelsummit2020.com From there you enter your email address and the password which was sent to you. If you have not yet registered for the conference please click here or go to www.smusteelsummit.com Here is what you can expect to happen on Monday, Aug. […]
A threatened strike at NLMK Pennsylvania became reality on Saturday when United Steelworkers at the company’s Farrell, Pa., plant walked off the job over what they claim are unfair labor practices. Local 1016-3 gave NLMK management a 48-hour strike notice on Friday, Aug. 20. Months of labor negotiations between management and the union deteriorated over a proposed healthcare […]