Over the course of the day today (Tuesday, June 6, 2017) Steel Market Update (SMU) spent time communicating with top executives at some of the largest flat rolled steel service centers in the United States about the steel price increase announcements and about the market as it exists right now. Four service center presidents responded […]
Steel 232 Investigation—Update from the Front Lines By Lewis LeibowitzThe Law Office of Lewis E. Leibowitz To put the steel proceeding in context, I would like to acquaint you with a couple of other proceedings that are “proceeding” right now. We’ll see how all of these developments may fit together. First, there are important negotiations […]
With the exception of ArcelorMittal and Cliffs Natural Resources, the U.S. steel industry passed on making statements about climate change and how much the steel industry has done over the past twenty years to minimize its carbon footprint and to reduce pollutants in the air and water. The rise of Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF) and […]
On Friday of this past week flat rolled steel buyers were lighting up the Steel Market Update inbox with questions or comments about a potential flat rolled steel price increase to be announced as early as Monday of this week. Steel buyers and executives associated with the service centers were telling SMU that Nucor is […]
The following article is the testimony Daniel Pearson provided to the U.S. Department of Commerce in writing as he was not selected to speak to the full panel during the open hearing on the subject of Section 232 held on Wednesday, May 24, 2017. Mr. Pearson will be a speaker at the 7th SMU Steel […]
The Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) submitted written testimony to the Commerce Department in support of the Section 232 Investigation of Steel Imports on National Security. MSCI president and CEO M. Robert Weidner argued that unfair trading practices and global overcapacity, particularly by China, have harmed the U.S. steel market. “MSCI believes the health of […]
I will be in New York City during this year’s Steel Success Strategies Conference. I just booked my hotel at the Marriott Marquise and for three days my total was just shy of $1700… Ugh. If you attend the SMU Steel Summit Conference and book while our room block is still available your cost for […]
Steel Market Update (SMU) spend the majority of today discussing the flat rolled steel markets with steel buyers from around the country. The main topic of conversation was pricing, which is anticipated will drop over the next 30 days and Section 232 which is expected to end that drop… Flat rolled steel buyers reported most […]
The Chinese, Russians, Turks, Vietnamese, Koreans and to a lesser extent the Taiwanese ears were burning Wednesday after the “bad-mouthing” they got at the Section 232 hearing on steel. Of the 37 scheduled speakers 9 domestic companies/organizations along with four foreign entities (Russia, China, Ukraine and Eurofer) spoke on behalf of allowing foreign steel without […]
As CEOs and association representatives presented their arguments for why the administration’s Section 232 action on steel imports should go forth, AIIS international Trade Counsel Gary Horlick talked about the unintended consequences of such actions. AIIS represents 108 members that include traders, freight forwarders, stevedores, shippers, importers, exporters, railroads, port authorities, unions and other logistics […]
The following article on the hot rolled coil (HRC) steel and financial futures markets was written by Jack Marshall of Crunch Risk LLC. Here is how Jack saw trading over the past week: Steel Flattening of HR futures curve due to decline in nearby futures prices generates heavy trading. It has been an active week […]
The following calculation is used by Steel Market Update to identify the theoretical spread between foreign hot rolled steel import prices (delivered to USA ports) and domestic (USA) hot rolled coil prices (FOB Domestic mills). We want our readers to be aware that this is only a “theoretical” calculation as freight costs, trader margin and […]
The Section 232 Investigation of steel imports on national security hearing was held on Tuesday. The testimonies included four representatives of foreign governments: China, Russia, the European Union, and Ukraine. Not surprising, none were in support of new import restrictions by a Section 232 action. China was represented by Yu Gu, First Secretary of the […]
During the Section 232 hearing at the Department of Commerce yesterday, Wilbur Ross told U.S. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH) that his report on steel Section 232 will be on the President’s desk by the end of June. This coincides with the prognostication of trade attorney Lewis Leibowitz who felt the President could react by the […]
The U.S. Department of Commerce advised Steel Market Update, as a member of the media, who would be speaking at tomorrow’s (Wednesday, May 24, 2017) Section 232 hearing on steel. The hearing is part of the Commerce Department’s investigation about the need for steel for national security. Here is what we received from the US […]
The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) reported foreign steel import license data earlier today. May licenses continue at a 3.6 million net ton pace which is quite disturbing (and probably not well timed based on the Section 232 hearing happening on Wednesday). However, almost one-third of the imports are attached directly to the steel mills […]
I have been working day and night trying to get a list of the invited speakers for the Section 232 (national security) hearing at the U.S. Department of Commerce on the morning of Wednesday, May 24th. The US Department of Commerce came out with the list to the media late this afternoon. The hearings starts […]
Later this week the U.S. Department of Commerce will hold public hearings for interested parties to voice their opinions regarding the Section 232 (national security) inquiry into the steel industry. Many believe the conclusion of this investigation was predetermined at the time of the original announcement. In the Fact Sheet produced by the U.S. Department […]
Steel Market Update (SMU) had a number of conversations with steel buyers late last week during our trip to Chicago. Benchmark hot rolled prices offers have slipped below $600 per ton with one service center executive discussing a spot offer of $560 per ton coming from one mill (and complaining that they lost of the […]
Buyers and sellers of flat rolled steel are slightly less enthusiastic about how they view their company’s ability to be success both in the existing, or current market environment as well as three to six months out into the future. There is an uncertainty that is becoming an issue to business as companies who buy […]
This evening I attended the Metals Industry Boy Scout Dinner in Chicago. The steel, and now metals industries have supported the Chicago area Boy Scouts for more than 25 years and, once again, there was close to 1,000 mostly steel people at the cocktail party and dinner. This included steel mills, service centers, trading companies, […]
In a move that has been building over the past few weeks, today Steel Market Update (SMU) is moving our Price Momentum Indicator to Lower from Neutral. Our belief at this point is flat rolled steel prices will continue their drift lower over the next 30-60 days as we approach what many in the steel […]
HVAC wholesalers reported despite “good” demand they are seeing ultra-competitive conditions on the sales of galvanized steel they are attempting to sell into the HVAC (heating, ventilation, air-conditioning) markets. Steel Market Update participates in a monthly steel conference call hosted by HARDI (Heating, Air-conditioning, and Refrigeration Distributors International) for their member companies. The HARDI conference […]
How Much Power Does Section 232 Give the President to Restrict Steel Imports? Commentary by Lewis LeibowitzThe Law Office of Lewis E. LeibowitzWashington, D.C. We have had many questions about the power of the President under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. The statute gives the President considerable power to take action […]
Happy Mother’s Day (at least for one more hour here on the East Coast)… We are beginning our mid-May flat rolled steel market trends survey at 8 AM ET tomorrow (Monday) morning. If you receive an invitation to participate please take a few minutes to click on the button on your invitation and complete our […]
Steel Market Update (SMU) spoke with many trading companies over the past few days about concerns their companies might have with the status of the industry and efforts to stop foreign steel from entering the country. “The trading companies are not the bad guy here,” is what one trading executive said to us late this […]
The following calculation is used by Steel Market Update to identify the theoretical spread between foreign hot rolled steel import prices (delivered to USA ports) and domestic (USA) hot rolled coil prices (FOB Domestic mills). We want our readers to be aware that this is only a “theoretical” calculation as freight costs, trader margin and […]
As I mentioned in one of the articles in tonight’s edition of SMU, I have been speaking with trade attorney Lewis Leibowitz on a whole host of subjects. We will be working on an article to help our readers better understand the ramifications of the Section 232 review (national security) and what powers the President […]
Lately, Steel Market Update (SMU) has been hearing the word “risk” bantered about by many within the steel industry. In Steel Market Update’s opinion, how one perceives the risks associated with buy and sell decisions is one of the factors determining the direction of flat rolled steel prices. which at this time are moving lower. […]
My “final thoughts” is an area of the newsletter where I can provide some of my opinions on a wide range of topics, provide information or updates on our workshops and conference or provide late-breaking tidbits from around the world that come in late in the day and are unable to make it into a […]