Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
January 20, 2014
New York City must not want me to come visit. I have been trying to visit but, Mother Nature has not been cooperating. I guess it is Mother Nature that doesn’t want me to visit New York City.
In December I was scheduled to attend the American Institute for International Steel (AIIS) dinner and my flight to LaGuardia was cancelled due to fog. LaGuardia was closed. Flights were leaving the next day but, alas, the dinner was for that evening. Trip cancelled.
Today I was scheduled to fly to New York City so I could attend the AHR Expo and meet with clients of a metals and mining analyst in the city. I figured I had it made. I knew the weather reports called for 3″ to 8″ of snow during the day and evening but, it was not supposed to begin until noon. My flight was at 8:50 and would arrive at 11 AM. The plane was loaded and ready to back out of the gate when the pilot called for mechanics to make a minor repair. The 30 minutes it took was long enough for the snow to begin falling (in earnest I am told) at LaGuardia. Once again my plans to visit New York City were foiled by Mother Nature.
I have promised to return – but not until April… Of course with my luck and Mother Nature’s attitude, LaGuardia could be closed due to heavy inbound geese traffic or thick grass, tree and flower pollen….
To those of you who are either living in New York City or made it there prior to the latest little hiccup provided by Mother Nature – enjoy the snow, cold and the slush surely to follow and I will see you in the Spring.
For all of you up in the Northeast, Upper Midwest and other spots around the nation where it has been cold, snowy and miserable so far this winter. We have a proposition for you – how would you like to go someplace a little warmer, close to the ocean where you can learn more about making and selling steel? We have just the place – Mobile, Alabama – the dates are February 4 & 5, 2014 and the reason is our Steel 101: Introduction to Steelmaking & Market Fundamentals workshop. You will not be disappointed. You will learn something. You will enjoy the tour of the SSAB steel mill which is part of our two day program. Contact me to ask any questions you might have. We still have spots open and we would love to add your name or someone from your company to our list of those attending. I can be reached at: John@SteelMarketUpdate.com or by phone at: 800-432-3475.
As always we thank you for your business as it is truly appreciated by all of us here at Steel Market Update.
John Packard, Publisher

John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts
Can technology help with pig iron and DRI/HBI tariffs?

Final Thoughts
Tariff-related noise aside, there is one basic factor keeping buyers on the sidelines. Despite recent declines, HR prices remain at historically high levels. And there is no obvious support to keep them there.

Final Thoughts
United Airlines raised eyebrows earlier this month when it provided two forecasts for 2025 – one assuming a relatively stable economy and another assuming a recession. The reason? Uncertainty around the impact of President Trump’s policy shocks on the broader economy. And it sometimes feels like we’re seeing a battle between those two narratives (stable vs recession) play out within in the pages of this newsletter.

Final Thoughts
Despite some scary headlines lately (especially about Trump potentially firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell) this is not October 2008 (financial crisis) or March 2020 (onset of the pandemic). But it sure seems like we’ve taken a relatively strong economy and poured a thick sauce of uncertainty over it.

Final Thoughts
I put some of our survey data through ChatGpt, with interesting results.