Final Thoughts
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Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
May 19, 2017
I am working on getting a strong keynote speaker to discuss the impact politics is having on the economy and on our daily lives. I have narrowed the list down to a few names so I thought it might be good to let our readers chime in and tell us who they would like to see and hear at our SMU Steel Summit Conference at the end of August:
Bill Kristol – One of the most influential voices on the national political scene, William Kristol is founder and editor-at-large of the prominent Washington-based political magazine The Weekly Standard and a political analyst for ABC News. He is a regular on ABC’s This Week and on ABC’s special events and election coverage, and also appears frequently on other leading political commentary shows including CNN’s Crossfire, MSNBC’s Morning Joe and FOX’s Special Report.
David Walker – Called the “Paul Revere on the unsustainable fiscal outlook for our country,” David Walker is the authority on addressing the fiscal challenges that lie ahead for America—and what we must do about them now. During his almost ten-year tenure as the U.S. Comptroller General, Dave Walker transformed the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and traveled the country sounding the alarm to Americans about unsustainable fiscal policies that threaten to derail the nation’s future.
Ari Fleisher – An expert who served in the White House and the Congress, Ari Fleischer provides an in-depth look at the Trump Administration, politics, the media and U.S. foreign policy. With over 25 years of experience in public service from Congress to presidential campaigns to serving as President Bush’s press secretary and spokesperson during the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, Ari Fleischer knows first-hand the gravity of today’s current events and the decisions that shape our lives.
Michael Smerconish – Using the perfect blend of analysis and humor, Michael Smerconish delivers an engaging, thought-provoking and balanced dialogue on today’s political arena and the long-term implications of the polarization in politics. In addition to his acclaimed work as nationally syndicated radio talk show host, newspaper columnist and best-selling author, Michael Smerconish hosts CNN’s Smerconish which airs live at 9:00 am ET on Saturday mornings from New York and also provides analysis and opinion on CNN programming throughout the week
Ron Insana – As the U.S. and global economies move toward recovery, Ron Insana applies his journalistic perspective to how Wall Street, Main Street and Washington shape what the new normal means for all of us. A financial journalist who stands alone among his peers in having the experience of working for and running his own hedge fund, Ron Insana offers clear, unvarnished insights on the ever-changing status of the economy. Currently host of a nationally-syndicated daily radio show and a senior analyst and commentator for CNBC, Insana has access to all of the top financial players in Washington and on Wall Street and translates the market signals and political maneuvers into information everyone understands. His hands-on experience in the financial industry—through some of the markets’ most turbulent times—give an added depth of perspective that few analysts can match. He offers practical advice on what individuals and businesses can and should do now to protect what you have and to find opportunities in any type of market condition.
You can provide me your opinions or suggestions by sending me an email: John@SteelMarketUpdate.com
As always, your business is truly appreciated by all of us here at Steel Market Update.
John Packard, Publisher
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John Packard
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Final thoughts
SMU has heard from some larger buyers who have stepped back into the market to buy at prices that, if not at a bottom, they assess to be close to one. Is it enough to stretch out lead times and send prices upward again? Or do we continue to scrape along the mid-$600s per short ton (st) as we have been doing for most of the last month?
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/images/Featured_News_Icons/gears.png)
Final thoughts
Cleveland-Cliffs Chairman, President and CEO Lourenco Goncalves had some insightful things to say today about the steel market and about a conference we suspect might be Steel Summit.
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/images/Featured_News_Icons/gears.png)
Final thoughts
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, when you add in some commentary from respected peers in the steel industry to those pictures, that may shoot you up to five thousand words, at least. In that spirit, we’ve added some snapshots from our market survey this week, along with some comments from market participants.
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Final thoughts
I thought we’d have more clarity this week on Section 232, Mexico, and a potential carve-out for steel melted and poured in Brazil. As of right now, the only official comment I have is from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
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Final thoughts
There are just 40 days left until the 2024 SMU Steel Summit gets underway on Aug. 26 at the Georgia International Convention Center (GICC) in Atlanta. And I’m pleased to announce that it's official now: More than 1,000 people have registered to at attend! Another big development: The desktop version of the networking app for the event has officially launched!