Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
November 16, 2016
A note to our Premium level members, we put out a Premium supplemental newsletter this afternoon that covered an extensive analysis of the MSCI data (long and flat rolled), there is also an article on currency values for steel trading nations (not good news for domestic mills as dollar has been strengthening), there is a special article that looks at scrap values and three other benchmarks that you might find interesting and we do a special analysis of imports (flat and long).
I am in Las Vegas (sunny but cool) as John Eckstein (metallurgist and Steel 101 instructor) and I are conducting a special Steel 101 workshop at FabTech. I was over at the Las Vegas Convention Center and learned that the workshop is full (bigger room next year). John and I are reviewing those registered to attend so we can tweak our program to our audience (which is quite mixed). If you are at FabTech and would like to see if you can sneak in the workshop, it is in N205-N206 which is above the Fabricator section of the Expo being held below the meeting rooms. The workshop begins as 8 AM and will end at 10 AM.
I am also here to attend the annual meeting of the Association of Steel Distributors (ASD) as they are holding their meeting in conjunction with FabTech.
In December I will be speaking at the HARDI annual meeting as part of the galvanized steel council. If you are a HARDI member I recommend you come see us on Tuesday morning, December 6th.
Our next Steel 101 workshop is scheduled for January 24-25, 2017 in Huntsville, Alabama and we will be touring the Nucor Decatur sheet mill. Information is on our website or you are welcome to contact Brett@SteelMarketUpdate.com (706-216-2140). The photo to the left is of Steel 101 instructor John Eckstein explaining to the attendees (and being assisted by John Woods of Interstate Steel) how the transition of different chemistries is controlled in a continuous casting operation.
As always we want to take a moment to thank our members/subscribers for your business as it is truly appreciated by all of us at Steel Market Update.
John Packard, Publisher

John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts
Are we on the cusp of sorting out the tariff situation, or is this merely another round in the bout?

Final Thoughts
I’m not sure how many different ways I can write that it’s been a quiet market ahead of Independence Day. There are variations on that theme. I’ve heard everything from the ominous “eerily quiet” to "getting better" and even the occasional “blissfully unaware” (because I’m enjoying my vacation).

Final Thoughts
What's going to be the next big thing in steel?

Final Thoughts
Based on the amount of ‘out of office’ replies we’ve been receiving and the results of this week’s steel buyers’ survey, those pesky summer doldrums have arrived for the steel industry.

Final Thoughts
Maybe some of this uncertainty will get ironed out ahead of Liberation Day tariffs resetting higher rates on July 9. But if I had to place a wager, it would be on more drama and last-minute brinksmanship - whether it comes to the Liberation Day tariffs or the various Section 232s that are in the works.