Steel Markets

Auto Sales Robust in February, But Decline Expected
Written by Sandy Williams
March 5, 2020
February was a good month for auto sales, with automakers posting higher sales as buyers took advantage of incentives and President’s Day discounts. Toyota sales moved up 12 percent to 194,152 units, while Honda sales gained 4.2 percent. Hyundai sales were driven by consumer enthusiasm for crossover vehicles, gaining 15.8 percent for the month. Most automakers have moved to quarterly sales reports rather than monthly.
Automotive analysts expect a mild impact on the U.S. industry due to the coronavirus, but warn of disruption to global supply chains.
“If the U.S. does not see a severe outbreak leading to travel restrictions and quarantines like China, South Korea, Japan, and Italy, then the impact to the economy and auto market should be subdued,” said Jonathan Smoke, chief economist at Cox Automotive. “Nevertheless, cascading issues around the world should cause the U.S. economy to see less growth. Likewise, new vehicle sales could fall from the 16.6 million in our original forecast due to COVID-19.”
Analysts at LMC Automotive agree that a decline in the light-vehicle market is likely.
“Uncertainty seems to be the buzz word for the auto industry right now, even if the causes change,” said Jeff Schuster, president, Americas operations and global vehicle forecasts, LMC Automotive. “While we expect the light-vehicle market to decline further in 2020, the factors that play a part in that decline are numerous. The coronavirus is not expected to have an immediate effect on sales in the U.S., but its effect on the global supply chain and production puts every global manufacturer and the global economy potentially at risk. A slowing U.S. economy and higher transaction prices are already contributing to the headwinds.”

Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Steel Markets

Great Lakes iron ore shipments declined in August
Shipments of iron ore across the Great Lakes dropped to 5 million short tons (st) in August, according to the latest data from the Lake Carriers’ Association. That’s down 9.1% compared to August 2024 and 2% lower than the month’s 5-year average. All told, the year-to-date (YTD) iron ore volumes through August totaled 26.7 million […]

SMU Week in Review: September 1-5
Here are highlights of what’s happened this past week and a few upcoming things to keep an eye on.

CRU: US longs market holds steady despite tariff pressures
he US longs market remained stable this month despite ongoing challenges from tariff-impacted imports, even as end-use demand was relatively unchanged and scrap prices held flat in August.

Steel Summit: Schneider sees SDI ‘on the edge of a very good run’
Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) President and Chief Operating Officer, Barry Schneider, remains bullish about the Fort Wayne, Ind.-based steelmaker’s position in the current market.

Sheet market participants say sales still in a slump
Across the US and throughout the steel supply chain, market participants are reporting another painfully quiet week for hot-rolled (HR) coil sales.