Steel Markets
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/media/k2/items/src/d1b3b69d788b9c20ad96cf42269e379c.jpg)
Housing Starts Off to a Good Start in January
Written by Sandy Williams
February 16, 2018
Housing starts in January jumped 9.7 percent from December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,326,000, according to data released by the Department of Commerce. Construction of homes of five units or more surged 19.7 percent, while single-family starts climbed 3.7 percent.
Starts increased across three of the four U.S. regions, but dropped by 10.2 percent in the Midwest. Starts in the Northeast soared 45.5 percent for a total of 128,000 units compared to 88,000 in December.
Permit authorizations were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,396,000, a 7.4 percent rise from both the previous month and January 2016. Building permits for single-family homes declined 2.7 percent, but multi-unit permits jumped by double-digit percentages—37.8 percent for 2-4 units and 25.4 percent for five units or more.
Permit authorizations grew 21.9 percent in the South and 3.5 percent in the West. Permit authorizations fell 16.9 percent in the Northeast and 11.7 percent in the Midwest. Most of the gains were for multi-unit construction.
“The growth in production is in line with our reports of solid builder confidence in the housing market,” said National Association of Home Builders Chairman Randy Noel. “A pro-business regulatory climate and increasing housing demand are boosting builders’ optimism, even as they continue to face supply-side hurdles such as rising construction material prices and access to lots and labor.”
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz noted the “three-month moving average for single-family starts was near a post-recession high rate of construction (890,000).”
“Demand for owner-occupied housing is rising due to favorable demographic tailwinds and a healthy labor market. Increases in after-tax incomes should help prospective buyers save for a downpayment on a home,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “As consumers continue to enter the single-family market, we should see builders increase production to meet this demand.”
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/sandy-williams.jpeg)
Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Steel Markets
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/images/Featured_News_Icons/GrafTech.jpg)
GrafTech’s Q2 loss widens in ‘challenging’ business environment
GrafTech cited a “challenging” part of the business cycle as its net loss widened in the second quarter.
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/CRU-Logo-2023-07-21-at-4.35.41-PM.png)
CRU: Poor steel margins continue to push down raw material prices
Both iron ore and coking coal prices fell this week because of resistance from buyers. Iron ore prices have continued to fall throughout the past week, following sharp declines in steel prices in China, given no new policy announcement from the ‘Third Plenum’ meeting.
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/canacero-logo.png)
Op-Ed: The myth of the Mexican steel surge
We have heard ominous warnings about a flood of Mexican steel threatening the US market. It's the kind of rhetoric that gets thrown around often with little regard for the facts. The reality is that the Mexican steel surge is simply not happening, and the US steel industry has consistently maintained a significant trade surplus in finished products with Mexico. In 2023 alone, this surplus exceeded $3 billion.
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/CRU-Logo-2023-07-21-at-4.35.41-PM.png)
CRU: Demand weakness continues to weigh on global sheet markets
Demand has remained persistently weak across the globe for sheet steel, weighing on prices. US HR coil prices fell the furthest this week as high-volume, low-priced deals were transacted as mills looked to fill order books and competed with one another amid relative demand weakness. Meanwhile, European prices were also down due to low demand […]
![](https://www.steelmarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/images/Featured_News_Icons/graph_up_arrow.png)
Influx of coated products fuels recent import surge
Steel imports fell back in May from April’s recent high but remained elevated compared to the levels seen over the past year. A deeper dive into the data confirms what SMU has been hearing from sources: Coated sheet is driving the recent rise in overall import levels.