SMU doesn’t do forecasts. We leave that to our colleagues at CRU. But we’re pretty good at surveys, and we’ve got a great group of readers. That’s why we decided to ask you what’s in store for 2024. The results are below, along with some insightful comments in italics.
Sheet prices were mixed in SMU’s first assessment of the market in the New Year.
Nucor Corp. announced in a letter to customers on Friday, Dec. 29, that its plate mill group would hold prices unchanged for as-rolled discrete plate, normalized, and quenched-and-tempered plate with the opening of its plate mill order book for February.
Wilbur Ross doesn’t believe the proposed sale of U.S. Steel to Japan’s Nippon Steel poses any threat to the economic or national security of the US.
After meeting with Nippon Steel, the United Steelworkers (USW) union remains weary of the company’s proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel.
November’s preliminary count shows US imports falling, but to a lesser degree than an earlier license count had suggested, according to the latest government figures.
The tariff rate quotas (TRQ) on steel and aluminum imports from the European Union are being extended for another two years.
The latest American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) production figures show domestic steel output slipping the week before the Christmas holiday. Domestic mills produced an estimated 1,693,000 net tons of steel during the week ended Dec. 23, AISI said. Output was down 1.2% from the previous week but was 7.4% higher than the same week […]
The end of one year is often both a time for reflection, and for looking ahead. You make sense of the ups and downs from January through December. Then you wipe off the old crystal ball, and try to make out what’s in store for the next 365 days.
A White House official said the planned $14.1-billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel deserved a closer look. President Joe Biden "believes the purchase of this iconic American-owned company by a foreign entity—even one from a close ally—appears to deserve serious scrutiny in terms of its potential impact on national security and supply chain reliability."
While you gear up for the holidays, don’t forget that the 2024 Tampa Steel Conference is just a little over a month away. One of the premier steel conferences in the US, it will be a great complement to our record-breaking SMU Steel Summit this past August.
US hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices might have plateaued. But while prices for offshore product have increased in some regions, imports remain significantly cheaper that domestic material. All told, US prices are roughly 26% more expensive than imports, a premium that is down only slightly from last week.
Global steel production rose in November compared to a year earlier with output in China roughly flat and significant gains elsewhere, according to the latest figures from the World Steel Association (worldsteel).
Steel buying lead times remain mixed as we head into the last week of 2023, according to SMU's most recent survey data.
Political opposition to Nippon Steel Corp.’s (NSC) proposed purchase of U.S. Steel continues to build.
Domestic steel mill shipments dipped year-to-date (YTD) through October from a year earlier, according to revised American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) data.
I was asked to do an interview for a cable news channel in Ohio about Nippon Steel’s planned acquisition of U.S. Steel for more than $14 billion.
US hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices were unchanged week over week (WoW) following a string of mostly upward moves dating back to late September.
US housing starts jumped in November on lower interest rates stimulating home buying, according to the most recent data from the US Census Bureau.
The European Union (EU) announced on Tuesday the extension of suspended tariffs on US aluminum and steel products. The extension of the negotiations will be active until March 31, 2025.
A World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute panel has ruled in favor of the US in a case regarding retaliatory tariffs imposed by Turkey in response to Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum.
US steel production increased for the week ended Dec. 16, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute’s (AISI’s) report on Monday, Dec. 18.
US Sens. JD Vance (R., Ohio) and John Fetterman (D., Pa.) have come out against the sale of U.S. Steel to Japan’s Nippon Steel.
Nippon Steel will acquire U.S. Steel in a deal valued at $14.9 billion, or $55 per share, the two companies announced on Monday morning. The Japanese steelmaker will keep U.S. Steel's iconic logo and its Pittsburgh headquarters, the companies said.
Over many years—even centuries—the wisdom and utility of tariffs as an instrument of government policy in peacetime have been debated. That incessant debate continues, and is likely to persist.
The 2024 Tampa Steel Conference is coming up soon after the kickoff of 2024. One of the premier steel conferences in the US, it will be a great complement to our record-breaking SMU Steel Summit this past August.
For our last SMU Spotlight of 2023, we had the pleasure of chatting with American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) president and CEO Kevin Dempsey.
Pig iron prices rose month over month (MoM) for all major regions, driven by rising scrap prices.
Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) expects lower fourth-quarter earnings sequentially and on-year, though the company said “steel order activity remains solid.”
The LME aluminum 3-month price is moving higher on the morning of Dec. 15 and was last seen trading at $2,258 /metric ton. This means the price is up 7% already since the new low for 2023 was reached on Wednesday at $2,109 /metric ton. The US Dollar reached its lowest level since early August […]