SMU Data and Models

New SMU Report Identifies HR Imports by Product Detail
Written by Tim Triplett
February 21, 2018
Premium subscribers to Steel Market Update receive reports on imports with macro data broken down by product on the national level. SMU also provides reports that detail the import tonnage received by district of entry and source nation. This new report from SMU takes the analysis even further.
Using U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) data, SMU takes the import tonnage and breaks it down into sheet and strip, and whether it was in coil or leveled. Then it separates three thickness ranges, it identifies how much was P&O, how much was high strength and how much had patterns in relief.
Table 1 is a monthly summary and year-to-date 2017 that shows each of these conditions (click to enlarge).
Figure 1 breaks the year-to-date tonnage down into sheet and strip and then into coil and leveled.
Figure 2 does the same by condition—commercial hot rolled, pickled and oiled, high strength and patterns in relief.
Figure 3 breaks the year-to-date tonnage down into three gauge ranges—light, medium and heavy.
Note: This data was accessed through the USITC database. All steel traded globally is classified by the Harmonized Tariff System (HTS). The HTS code has 10 digits. The first six are globally universal. The last four are used at the discretion of the nations involved in a particular transaction. The way the U.S. uses the last four digits to define products may be different from other nations’ product classification.

Tim Triplett
Read more from Tim TriplettLatest in SMU Data and Models

Survey says: Tariff whiplash replay activated
If you’re feeling a sudden jerk and a case of tariff whiplash coming on, you’re not alone.

SMU flat-rolled market survey results now available
SMU’s latest steel buyers market survey results are now available on our website to all premium members. After logging in at steelmarketupdate.com, visit the pricing and analysis tab and look under the “survey results” section for “latest survey results.” Past survey results are also available under that selection. If you need help accessing the survey results, or if […]

SMU Survey: Steel Buyers’ Sentiment sinks to near pandemic levels
SMU’s Steel Buyers’ Sentiment Indices moved in opposing directions this week. Our Current Steel Buyers’ Sentiment Index sharply fell to one of the lowest levels recorded in five years, while Future Buyers’ Sentiment marginally improved.

SMU Survey: Mill lead times tick higher after late-May lows
All five of the averages for sheet and plate mill lead times tracked by SMU extended moderately this week, according to buyers responding to our latest market survey.

SMU Survey: Mills less negotiable on sheet prices, buyers say
Most steel buyers responding to our market survey this week reported that domestic mills are considerably less willing to talk price on sheet products than they were in recent weeks, but remain open to bargain on plate prices.