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    SMU Price Ranges & Indices: Market Prices are Strong

    Written by John Packard


    Steel prices continue their march higher, and we are seeing a very strong market on hot rolled coil right now. With the strength of HRC, we are seeing a return to more normal price spreads between hot rolled, cold rolled and coated base pricing.

    Prices appear to be heading to even loftier levels with steel buyers relating discussions with their steel mill suppliers. A number of buyers have confided in Steel Market Update that mills like U.S. Steel and ArcelorMittal USA are out of the spot markets having their contract tons in hand and already booked through the month of April.

    Latest in Mexico

    Commerce amends duties on pipe and tube imports

    The US Department of Commerce recently made adjustments to the anti-dumping duties (AD) on certain steel pipe and tube imports after annual administrative reviews, according to notices in the Federal Register. Commerce reviewed the AD order on imports of oil country tubular goods (OCTG) from Mexico and lowered the dumping rate for one company. Tubos de Acero de Mexico received a 1.87% dumping rate for the year ended Oct. 31, 2024. The rate is down notably from 26.1% in the previous year. The all-others cash deposit rate remains set at 44.93%.

    Deacero casts first billet at new Ramos Arizpe mini-mill

    Mexican longs producer Deacero has cast the first billet at its new minimill in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, moving the Danieli-supplied caster into commissioning. It's a key milestone for Deacero's $600-million Ramos II mini-mill, said Italian plant engineering and equipment provider. "The achievement further strengthens the long-standing collaboration between Deacero and Danieli, and further confirms Danieli’s already-established presence in the Mexican long-products market," the company said in a statement on Nov. 2.

    Commerce lowers Mexico’s dumping rate in CORE case

    The US Department of Commerce has reduced the anti-dumping duty on corrosion-resistant steel (CORE) for some Mexican producers after a court order. On remand from the Court of International Trade (CIT), Commerce agreed that the record did not show that Galvasid SA de CV’s US customers separately negotiated or paid freight or insurance. The agency therefore removed the adjustment and recalculated the margin. As a result, the agency lowered Galvasid’s coated steel dumping rate to 14.54%, from 24.05%. The all-others rate is now 14.29%, down from 17.42%. Ternium’s rate is unchanged at 14.17%.

    Court turns to creditor consortium after AHMSA auction bid falls through

    The leading bidder for bankrupt Mexican steelmaker Altos Hornos de Mexico (AHMSA) failed to provide the required earnest money guarantee to confirm its $1.4 billion bid for the steelmaker and its Minera del Norte (MINOSA) mining assets. The court will now consider selling the assets to a consortium of creditors. After the bankruptcy auction on Sept. 25, the court overseeing the proceedings granted the leading bidder, Construcciones e Ingenierías Electromecánicas SA de CV (CIESA), ten days to provide a bid bond of $56.3 million. The Oct. 13 deadline passed without any prequalified bidders, including CIESA, providing the required amount. In fact, the court said CIESA deposited only 5,000 Mexican pesos (US$271).