Market Segment
July 18, 2023
Written by Becca Moczygemba
The US Federal Reserve said that overall economic activity has inched up since May in its latest Beige Book Report released on July 12.
The Beige Book is a compilation of information on current economic conditions, gathered by each district Federal Reserve Bank, and is published eight times per year.
Philip K. Bell, president of the Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA), will join SMU for a Community Chat on Tuesday, Nov. 17. The live webinar is free for anyone to attend. The recording and slide decks will be available only to SMU subscribers. Bell is plugged into steel and plugged into DC politics, which makes this chat a must-see, especially as we prepare for a new, Democratic-controlled Congress to convene in January.
The midterms are over, and Democrats will control both chambers of Congress in January. In this space last week, Lewis Leibowitz predicted that President Trump's tariffs, including Section 232, may not last much longer. We disagree. To be sure, the new Congress will change trade policy. It will hold hearings, write bills, and almost certainly revisit the trade dispute with Canada. But the foundation of US trade policy is unlikely to be disturbed. Section 232 and Section 301 are established, court-tested authorities that both parties have used. They are also working.
Brazilian miner and steelmaker Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN) increased steel production in the third quarter, but lower overseas shipments and a less favorable domestic product mix weighed on its quarterly results. The company also said renewed import pressure limited further price pass-throughs.
Stelco will restart finishing operations at its mill in Hamilton, Ontario, on Dec. 1. The company cited improved demand. The Canadian flat-rolled steelmaker will also recall 175 workers who had been laid off. The workers will be "made whole" retroactively for wages lost while they were laid off, Stelco said on Friday. Stelco initially proceeded with layoffs despite threats of legal action from the Canadian government.
US shipments of heating and cooling equipment slipped in September for a third consecutive month, according to the latest data from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). Shipments declined 2.6% month on month (m/m) in September, after having fallen 10% m/m in August. The monthly pace marks the third-slowest shipment rate year to date. Historically, shipments are strongest in early summer and weakest around the turn of the year, driven by seasonal air conditioner and heat pump volumes. AHRI's data shows September shipments totaled 1,687,240 units, down 2.6% m/m but up 7.7% year over year (y/y) (Figure 1, left). From August to September, shipments of warm air furnaces, A/C, and heat pumps declined, while water heater shipments rose. Compared with a year earlier, only air conditioners and heat pump shipments were higher.