Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
February 23, 2018
Diana and I will be traveling on Monday and Tuesday on business and will not be available in our offices and will have limited use of our cell phones. If you have an issue, please contact Brett Linton at 706-216-2140 or send emails to info@SteelMarketUpdate.com.
I will be canvassing the market on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning to see where spot prices are for this week. Thank you in advance for working with me to get the latest offers, as well as what transaction prices are for this week.
Registration is open and available on the website for the 2018 SMU Steel Summit Conference. You can go to www.SteelMarketUpdate.com/events/steel-summit to get more details and to register for this year’s event.
As always, your business is truly appreciated by all of us at Steel Market Update.
John Packard, Publisher

John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts
Cliffs came tantalizing close to buying U.S. Steel in 2023. There were rumors in 2024 that Cliffs might buy NLMK USA before it ultimately purchased Stelco for $2.5 billion in November of last year. Who would have thought that asset sales would have been the focal point of discussion just six months later?

Final Thoughts
Given the news about tariffs and bringing back industries to the US, a brief look back in time may show how our economy changes with technological advances and the shifting economies of scale.

Final Thoughts
We’ve talked about tariffs ad nauseam for much of the year. And I’m afraid this topic isn’t going away anytime soon. There’s a feeling that the tariff “can” will just be kicked down the road again and again, and again.

Final Thoughts
Can technology help with pig iron and DRI/HBI tariffs?

Final Thoughts
Tariff-related noise aside, there is one basic factor keeping buyers on the sidelines. Despite recent declines, HR prices remain at historically high levels. And there is no obvious support to keep them there.