Final Thoughts

There are days when this feels like a “nothing ever happens” market. Don’t get me wrong. Plenty is happening in the world. It’s just that none of it seems to matter when it comes to sheet and plate prices.

Usually, I write about steel in this column because, well, we’re Steel Market Update. But before I get to steel, I want to give a shoutout to my colleagues at Aluminum Market Update (AMU) – SMU’s new sister publication.

If I could change something, it’d be this: Political news would get more boring. And news about steel prices and steel demand would get a little more exciting.

SMU’s latest survey results indicate that steel market participants think sheet prices are at or near a bottom. But most also think there is limited upside once they inflect higher.

A recent IIMA meeting in Brazil shows how the US and much of the rest of the world are operating in parallel realities.