Readers asked me to discuss Section 232 and its possible future. Steel and aluminum tariffs have been around since 2018, not to mention other investigations on components of electric transformers made with electrical steel, autos and auto parts, and vanadium. I think that, under applicable law, certain of these cases have been resolved. I explain here […]
Let’s talk about lead times. Because the results from our latest survey caught my attention. This is the first time in since January-February that you can maybe discern a potential peak in pricing – at least judging by that metric. Lead Times: Trend or Head Fake I’m going to display our lead latest lead time […]
Let’s talk about flat rolled and plate steel mill lead times. Because the results from our latest steel market survey caught my attention. This is the first time in since January-February that you can maybe discern a potential peak in pricing – at least judging by that metric. Lead Times: Trend or Head Fake I’m […]
Encouraging the market to use better steel, and use steel better, along with being a leader in fossil-free steel production, is SSAB’s broader goal, said SSAB Americas President Charles Schmitt, during Wednesday’s SMU Community Chat webinar. SSAB Americas is the largest supplier of heavy steel plate in North America. Steel consumption has doubled since 2000, and […]
The number of active oil and gas drill rigs increased this past week for both the United States and Canada, according to data released by oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The rig count is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of oil country tubular goods demand. The number of active […]
Flat rolled steel prices have been rising consistently for 45 straight weeks (since the week of Aug. 10, 2020). There is a chance (no guarantees) that we could see the cycle continue for a full 52+ weeks as the steel mills continue to have supply issues and demand remains quite strong in just about every […]
Evraz North America aims to resume steelmaking operations at its mill in Pueblo, Colo., the week of June 21, a company spokesman said. Rolling operations are likely to restart shortly thereafter, he said. An explosion at the Pueblo steel mill in late May disrupted production and resulted in eight people being injured, three critically. Seven […]
It is a good time to be a steel producer. Both Steel Dynamics and Nucor are expecting record earnings for the second quarter of 2021 supported by strong demand and unprecedented steel prices. And U.S. Steel expects second quarter adjusted EBITDA more than double that in the first. SDI expects earnings to be in the range […]
Editor’s note: Steel Market Update is please to share this Premium content with Executive members. For information on how to upgrade to a Premium-level subscription, email Info@SteelMarketUpdate.com. The Energy Information Administration’s June Short-Term Energy Outlook remains subject to heightened levels of uncertainty related to the ongoing economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. That big caveat […]
The energy tubulars market is still waiting for the boom flat-rolled steel prices – the sector’s primary input cost – to flow through to pipe selling prices, according to one industry expert. On the face of it, things look good. Oil prices are improving, the rig count is up dramatically versus a year ago, and […]
The U.S. labor market gained some ground in May following a disappointing performance the month prior. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that employers added 559,000 workers to their payrolls in May, a vast improvement from the measly 266,000 new jobs added in April – but still behind the 770,000 new hires in […]
Infrastructure, Energy, Wind Farms, Tanners, Summit Conference, Imports. If you are watching the news, you are aware of the Biden administration’s push for a large (at least $1 trillion) infrastructure bill. There is a lot of discussion about what infrastructure entails in light of the current economy. It’s not your father’s economy. There is need […]
Shipbuilder Austal USA has been awarded a design contract to build a new ship for the U.S. Navy. The agreement, valued at $3.6 million, is for the functional design and construction of the new 80-meter (252.5 foot) Navajo-class Steel Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship (T-ATS). This follows recent news of Austral USA’s new steel manufacturing […]
The number of active oil and gas drill rigs decreased this past week for the United States, while the Canadian rig count jumped 24%, according to data released by oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The rig count is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of oil country tubular goods demand. […]
An explosion over the weekend at Evraz North America’s steel mill in Pueblo, Colo., injured eight people, three of them critically, a union official told Steel Market Update. The resulting damage will disrupt production at the mill given that its electric arc furnace (EAF) feeds three downstream operations, some of which do not have an […]
Salzgitter Mannesmann International (USA), Inc., will be under the new leadership of Thomas Rechtien, effective June 1. Rechtien most recently was responsible for the North American trading arm of Salzgitter Mannesmann International (USA), Inc., as General Manager of Trading and Automotive. Rechtien has served in a variety of roles during his 12-year tenure at the […]
The number of active oil and gas drill rigs increased this past week for the United States, while the Canadian rig count declined, according to data released by oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The rig count is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of oil country tubular goods demand. The […]
The Energy Information Administration’s April Short-Term Energy Outlook remains subject to heightened levels of uncertainty as responses to COVID-19 continue to evolve. Economic activity has increased significantly compared to previous years and, combined with the easing of COVID restrictions, energy use is rising. The EIA expects oil demand to continue to strengthen due to those […]
The number of active oil and gas drill rigs increased this past week for both the United States and Canada, according to data released by oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The rig count is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of oil country tubular goods demand. The number of active […]
The ISM Manufacturing Report on Business came in lower than expected in April. The PMI dipped four points to a reading of 60.7% as both the new orders and production indexes edged downward to 64.3% and 62.5%, respectively. A score above 50, however, indicates expansion, which means demand continued to improve in April. Fabricated metal […]
By CRU Chief Economist Jumana Saleheen and CRU Head of Fertilizers Chris Lawson, from CRU’s Steel Monitor Commodity prices have continued an upwards tear in 2021. Steel and its raw materials have seen the sharpest gains, but less well-known commodities such as fertilizers are also attracting attention. With such steep price rises, calls for a […]
Steel tube producer Tenaris saw global sales increase 5% sequentially to $1.18 billion in the first quarter of 2021, but results were still down 33% year-over-year. An 8% increase in volumes was offset by a 5% decrease in selling prices. Sales jumped 31% in North America as drilling activity picked up during the first quarter. […]
Hot rolled steel prices have been on the rise since last August and hit a new record of $1,440 per ton this week as nine-week lead times have tightened supplies and made spot tons scarce. Can steel prices possibly continue rising for the rest of the year? Chris Shipp is convinced steel prices have a […]
When I started Steel Market Update in August 2008 and I began to look at steel prices, I did so from a different viewpoint than the indexes that already existed. Having just completed a 31-year career in selling flat rolled steel, I believed what was most important for steel buyers to understand was the range […]
The number of active oil and gas drill rigs declined slightly this past week for both the United States and Canada, according to data released by oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The rig count is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of oil country tubular goods demand. The number of […]
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co., the nation’s largest metals distributor and processor, reported record pretax income of $359 million in first-quarter 2021, fueled by the unexpectedly high steel prices and solid demand in most of the markets the company serves. “The combination of a record quarterly gross profit margin, average selling prices well above our […]
My first job in the steel industry started in July 1977. I have been involved with the industry ever since. I’m coming up on 44 years in a few months. That either makes me old or wise…well, old anyway. What I can tell you is during those 44 years I have never seen a market […]
Tenaris will bring its Pennsylvania facilities back online as part of plans to expand operations across the Northeast U.S. The Koppel melt shop and Ambridge seamless pipe are slated for restart this summer. “There are encouraging trends in the market from increases in production and oil prices to total demand. While taking a cautious approach, […]
Downstream metals M&A is back, and it could be bigger than ever – or at least as big as it’s been since the last metals super cycle in 2006-08, according to one investment banker. Deal volume in the metals service center and processing sectors was good in early 2020 and “cratered” following the COVID-19 outbreak. But […]
The World Steel Association was cautiously optimistic in its April 2021 Short-Range Outlook published last week. The association expects steel demand to grow 5.8% this year, reaching 1.874 billion metric tons, after declining 0.2% during the pandemic in 2020. “Despite the disastrous impact of the pandemic on lives and livelihoods, the global steel industry was […]