Steel Products

April 29 SMU Community Chat to Focus on Construction Market
Written by Tim Triplett
April 27, 2020
Steps to contain the spread of COVID-19 have dealt a serious blow to construction, which is the largest market for steel. Construction will be the focus of this week’s SMU Community Chat.
Two out of three construction executives responding to an April 20-23 survey by the Associated General Contractors of America reported that they are experiencing project delays and disruptions due to owner-ordered cancellations and shortages of construction materials, personal protective equipment and skilled workers.
There are many questions regarding how COVID-19 is going to impact the residential, commercial and other forms of construction both in the near term, as well as 12-24 months out into the future. Join us on Wednesday, April 29, as we ask the tough questions, and get answers from the Chief Economist for the AGC.
Simonson will offer more details on AGC’s findings and his forecast as this week’s guest speaker for SMU’s Community Chat, set for 11 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, April 29. The 45-minute webinar is free and open to all. To register, click here.

Tim Triplett
Read more from Tim TriplettLatest in Steel Products

SMU Steel Summit 2025: It’s coming at you fast!
Before you know it, we’ll all be singing those famous words made popular by Alice Cooper back in ’79 – “school’s out for summer!” But it’s not “all the girls and boys making that noise,” it’s the growing buzz around SMU’s Steel Summit 2025! So, while August might seem like a long way off, we’ve […]

Rig counts trend lower in US and Canada
Oil and gas drilling activity eased in both the US and Canada this week, according to Baker Hughes. US rig counts remain near multi-year lows, and Canadian activity continues its seasonal slowdown.

Wittbecker on Aluminum: When do the tariffs reach Main Street?
Containers sailing from China in April are down 15%-20% and Hapag Lloyd says their future bookings transpacific are down 30%.

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 […]

US, offshore CRC prices edge lower
US cold-rolled (CR) coil prices edged lower again this week, slipping four weeks in a row now. Most offshore markets mirrored the move, ticking down marginally as well.