Steel Products
December Imports Down 15%
Written by John Packard
January 28, 2013
December Imports Down 15%
Imports dropped by 377,746 net tons compared to the prior month. On a day’s adjusted basis December imports were 15 percent lower than November. Based on preliminary license data January imports are projected to be approximately 2.9 million net tons – well above both the 3-month and 12-month moving average.
Semi-finished (slabs) continued their strong showing during the month of December at 661,718 net tons. Hot rolled coil and cold rolled were also above their 3-month and 12-month moving averages while galvanized and Galvalume were not during December. However, for January all four flat rolled products are forecast to be above their 3-month and 12-month moving averages based on early license data (subject to revision).
John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Steel Products
Active rig count update through mid-May
Drilling activity ticked up in the US but declined in Canada during the week ended May 17, according to the latest release from Baker Hughes.
Mexico’s TYASA breaks ground on SBQ rolling mill
Mexican steelmaker Talleres y Aceros (TYASA) broke ground this month on the construction of a new special bar quality (SBQ) rolling mill in the state of Veracruz.
Biden hikes tariffs on Chinese goods, including steel and aluminum
The Biden administration announced a series of actions on Tuesday targeting China’s "unfair" trade policies. These actions will, among other things, make imports of steel and aluminum from the Asian nation even more prohibitive.
Nucor holds weekly HRC price steady after last week’s cut
Nucor chose to hold its consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled (HR) coil steady this week after stunning the market last week with a significant price decline. The steelmaker said in a letter to customers on Monday morning that its $760-per-short-ton (st) CSP base price for HR coil is effective immediately. The price is unchanged from the CSP announced on May 6 but down $65/st from $825/st April 29.
US CR tags ease, premium over imports still high
Offshore cold-rolled (CR) coil prices remain much less expensive than domestic product, even as domestic prices have slipped to a six-month low, according to SMU’s latest check of the market.