Prices
Steel Production Starts the Year Strong
Written by Tim Triplett
January 8, 2019
U.S. mills began the new year with little sign of a slowdown. Raw steel production by U.S. steelmakers in the week ending Jan. 5 totaled 1,876,000 net tons for a capability utilization of 80.0 percent. Steel production was down a slight 1.2 percent from the prior week, but up 10.1 percent from the same week last year when the utilization rate was 73.1 percent, reported the American Iron and Steel Institute.
Following is production by district for the Jan. 5 week: North East: 219,000 net tons; Great Lakes, 719,000 net tons; Midwest, 203,000 net tons; South, 661,000 net tons; and West, 74,000 net tons, for a total of 1,876,000 tons.
The raw steel production tonnage provided in this report is estimated. The figures are compiled from weekly production tonnage from 50 percent of the domestic producers combined with monthly production data for the remainder. Therefore, this report should be used primarily to assess production trends. The AISI monthly production report provides a more detailed summary of steel production based on data supplied by companies representing 75 percent of U.S. production capacity.
Tim Triplett
Read more from Tim TriplettLatest in Prices
SMU Survey: Mills less negotiable on spot prices
Most steel buyers responding to our market survey this week reported that domestic mills are considerably less willing to talk price on sheet and plate products than they were in recent weeks.
Price gap between US HRC, most imports narrows slightly
In dollar-per-ton terms, US product is on average $141/st less than landed import prices (inclusive of the 50% tariff). That’s down from $148/st last week.
SMU price ranges: Sheet ticks higher, plate stable
Sheet steel indices increased across the board this week, while plate prices held steady. All five of SMU’s price indices are higher than they were two weeks ago, and all but one are above levels recorded four weeks ago.
Nucor lifts HR spot price by $10/ton
Nucor has raised its weekly spot list price on hot-rolled coil by $10 per short ton (st) after keeping it unchanged since Aug. 25.
Atlas Tube up $50/ton following NLMK USA sheet price hike
Atlas Tube, in a leading move, said it aims to increase prices for mechanical tubing, hollow structural sections (HSS), and piling products by at least $50 per short ton (st).