Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
February 7, 2014
One of the interesting tidbits that came out of the ArcelorMittal conference call last week was their intention of taking down the #7 blast furnace at Indiana Harbor for two months beginning in May.
They also discussed the purchase of ThyssenKrupp which they feel will be completed by the end of March (end of 1st Quarter). They have not been able to communicate directly with the commercial department at the mill but noted that TK Alabama was running at approximately 3 million metric ton per year level. The mill is essentially full at approximately 4.2 million metric tons due to the stainless conversion agreement they have. It appears AM does not intend to back off any tonnage. They are targeting automotive and energy sectors as their primary focus coming out of the gate.

John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts
The US scrap market finds itself in a familiar position as we progress into the final quarter of the year.

Final Thoughts
Musings on decarb, tariffs, and technology, and where it might be leading.

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.

Final Thoughts: AMU brings the news
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.

Final Thoughts
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.