Steel Products
U.S. Service Centers Show Growth in 2012 – Canadians Not So Much
Written by John Packard
January 18, 2013
U.S. distributors grew annual shipments by 1.81 percent (all products) according to Metal Service Center Institute data during calendar year 2012. Shipments totaled 41,447,900 tons.
Flat rolled shipments also rose during 2012 totaling 26,378,900 tons which represents an improvement of 2.39 percent over the previous year. Plate shipments were up by 2 percent, while pipe and tube rose by 2.14 percent.
Canadian Service Center Shipments Decline on all but Plate
Canadian distributors did not fare as well as their southern counterparts as total steel shipments declined from 6,289,100 tons in 2011 to 6,114,600 tons (-2.77 percent) during 2012.
Carbon flat rolled led the decline slipping by 9.23 percent to 3,053,600 tons. Pipe and tube slid 1.55 percent to 685,300 tons. Plate did show a sizeable improvement rising by 9.47 percent to 1,192,800 tons from 1,089,600.

John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Steel Products

Final Thoughts
The difference: The spat with Turkey was a big deal for steel. This time, the 50% reciprocal tariff for Brazil – if it goes into effect as threatened on Aug.1 – hits everything from coffee and to pig iron. It seems almost custom-built to inflict as much pain as possible on Brazil.

CRU: US rebar and wire rod prices rise alongside S232 increase
CRU Senior Steel Analyst Alexandra Anderson discusses current market and pricing dynamics for long steel products in the US.
CRU: Excessive global supply could hit rebar mill investments in US
Following the onset of the war in Ukraine in March 2022, concerns about import availability and expectations of rising demand from President Biden’s Infrastructure Bill pushed US rebar prices to record highs. In response, a flurry of new mills and capacity expansions were announced to meet the rise in demand from growth in the construction […]

Steel buyer spirits tempered by soft spot market conditions
Steel sheet buyers report feeling bogged down by the ongoing stresses of stagnant demand, news fatigue, tariff negotiations or implementation timelines, and persistent macroeconomic uncertainty.

CRU: US stainless prices to rise on expanded S232 tariffs
Stainless prices in the US market will rise, following price increases by major US producers. Our base case scenario incorporates higher US prices in the near term, despite the initial negative reaction by the market. US stainless prices will go up in 2025 H2 and will stay elevated in 2026 as tariffs on stainless […]