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    2022 SMU Steel Summit Conference: Where Decision Makers Meet

    Written by John Packard


    The 2022 SMU Steel Summit Conference is only 13 weeks away, and we are looking forward to providing a quality program filled with knowledgeable and interesting speakers. We know your time is valuable, so we have gone the extra mile to provide an environment that will allow you to gather intelligence about the marketplace while also being able to network with many of your customers and suppliers.

    This is the only flat rolled and plate focused steel conference in North America where you will find such a high concentration of decision makers. These include heads of purchasing, heads of sales, vice presidents, chief financial officers, presidents, and CEOs representing manufacturers, steel distributors/wholesalers, steel mills, trading companies, toll processors, and dozens of companies who serve those industries.

    Latest in Product

    Steel exports fall in September to lowest rate of the year

    US steel exports eased 3% from August to September, marking the third consecutive monthly decline following June’s 17-month high, according to recently released US Department of Commerce figures. Exports have been historically low since early 2025 and remain weak compared to volumes seen in prior years. In September, 615,000 short tons (st) of steel were shipped outside of the country, 2% below the average monthly export rate of the past twelve months. September trade was 3% higher than the same month of 2025, 19% lower than September 2024, 21% lower than September 2023, and 15% lower than September 2022. For context, exports fell to a five-year low of 469,000 st in December and reached a near-five-year high of 914,000 st in May 2023.

    Imports fall back slightly in September, slide further in October

    Final import data for September from the US Commerce Department shows a slight decline from August’s 15-month high. And October’s license count suggests another month-on-month (m/m) decline in imports. September imports of 2,416,717 short tons (st) were down just 1% from 2,434,108 st in August, a 15-month high. October license data show a steeper 8% m/m fall to 2,214,730 st (Figure 1, left). August appears to have been the peak for the recovery in imports, which has been ongoing since February of this year, when we saw some of the lowest levels since 2020.

    Ferrous scrap market chatter this month

    Every month, SMU polls participants in the ferrous scrap market on a variety of topics, including prices. This month's survey results landed just as the November scrap market was starting to settle. Preliminary results show scrap prices rose across the board for all the products SMU tracks. Final prices will be in SMU later this week. As the final numbers come in, we'd like to share where survey respondents thought prices would be on busheling, shredded, and HMS scrap, as well as where they see prices heading over the next 60 days.