Steel Products
USS-POSCO Joins Rivals Up $30 Per Ton
Written by Tim Triplett
December 11, 2017
USS-POSCO is the latest flat roll mill to announce a price increase. In a letter to customers today, the mill said that, effective immediately, it is raising base prices on all sheet products by a minimum of the following: Hot Rolled P&O, $30 per net ton; Cold Rolled, $30 per net ton; and Galvanized, $30.00 per net ton. Published extras will continue to apply.
The scale and the terms of POSCO’s announcement match the $30 price hikes by the other major mills last week, including Nucor, ArcelorMittal, California Steel Industries, U.S. Steel and NLMK.
In its communication with customers, ArcelorMittal referenced spot transaction base price minimums of $680 per ton on hot rolled ($34.00/cwt) and $860 per ton on cold rolled and coated steels ($43.00/cwt), before any extras are added, setting the mark for the current market.
Tim Triplett
Read more from Tim TriplettLatest in Steel Products
Drilling activity slows in US but picks up steam in Canada
Oil and gas drilling in the US slowed for a third consecutive week, while activity in Canada hovered just shy of the 19-week high reached two weeks prior.
Domestic mill shipments rise in June: AISI
US steel shipments increased month over month and year over year in June, according to the latest figures from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).
Active rig counts slipped in US, Canada
Drilling activity slowed in the US and Canada last week, according to the latest oil and gas rig count data released by Baker Hughes.
OCTG producers in Canada take aim at Mexico, US, others
Evraz NA and Welded Tube of Canada have lodged an unfair trade complaint against imports of OCTG, including those from USMCA trading partners Mexico and the US.
Final Thoughts
The difference: The spat with Turkey was a big deal for steel. This time, the 50% reciprocal tariff for Brazil – if it goes into effect as threatened on Aug.1 – hits everything from coffee and to pig iron. It seems almost custom-built to inflict as much pain as possible on Brazil.