Market Segment
July 29, 2021
Written by Michael Cowden
U.S. Steel returned to the black in the second quarter on a solid showing from its flat-rolled steel operations and an even stronger performance from Big River Steel.
The second quarter was “exceptional,” and the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker expects to set new profitability records again in the third, company President and Chief Executive Officer David B. Burritt said in a statement.
The current plate market squeeze has been driven by improved demand and heightened import barriers, including 50% Section 232 tariffs. But the timing of fall outages—even if they were planned—is exacerbating the supply crunch.
Metalformers’ optimism softened in the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) September Business Conditions Report.
SMU’s latest Flat-Rolled Steel Buyers Survey shows that in a tight US market marked by long lead times, low inventories, and rising prices, foreign products continue to gain the interest of domestic buyers.
Domestic raw steel output fell to a six-month low last week after hitting a multi-year high one week earlier, according to the latest American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) figures.
The proposed Hyundai-POSCO steel mill in Louisiana has been approved for up to $1.3 billion in bond financing, according to state records and local media reports.