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    Analysis

    September 17, 2023

    Final Thoughts

    Written by Ethan Bernard

    The United Auto Workers (UAW) strike that started Friday leaves the “Big Three” automakers, and their union-represented workers, in uncharted territory. And, by extension, everything along the supply chain that touches automotive. Especially steel.

    What we know now is that the UAW has resumed talks with the Detroit automakers, according to a report Saturday in the New York Times. Separately, an article in the Detroit Free Press noted that Ford and General Motors have laid off workers because of the strike.

    Ethan Bernard

    Ethan Bernard is managing editor for Steel Market Update. He previously worked for American Metal Market as a copy editor in the New York office for two years, starting in 2008. Later, he copy edited AMM’s monthly magazine on a freelance basis from 2015 until 2017. With experience in financial copywriting and textbook publishing, he holds a BA in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley, and an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University. He can be reached at ethan@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7871.

    Read more from Ethan Bernard

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    On the face of it, nothing much changed in the US steel market this week. Lead times continue to extend. Inventories remain lean. And mills can pretty much name their price. Sheet lead times, which extend well into December, remain at the highest levels we’ve seen since 2021. Plate lead times, meanwhile, set a new record. At 11 weeks on average, they’re higher than anything we’ve recorded – including during the boom year of ’21.