SMU Community Chat: Tomorrow at 11 am ET with Timna Tanners of Wolfe Research

Timna – who has coined Sheet Storm, Scrap Squeeze, and Galv Galore – is one of the most popular guests on our Community Chats. Her insights and forecasts are always thought-provoking.

What we’ll talk about

We now know that Donald Trump will become president again on Jan. 20, 2025. And we’ll discuss what his policies might mean for the domestic steel industry.

Trump has talked about blanket tariffs of 10% on all imports and 60% tariffs on imports from China. To what extent might this encourage reshoring? And to what extent could it provoke supply chain snarls and inflation? Also, what does Trump’s win mean for Nippon Steel’s planned acquisition of U.S. Steel?

We’ll also talk about some more familiar topics. Namely, new flat-rolled steelmaking and coating capacity. For example, how does the market absorb Big River 2 (BR2) as it ramps up this year and into 2025? Should we expect older capacity to be idled in response? What about new coating lines? Will a sweeping trade case be enough to make room for that capacity, or could we see a glut in value-added products?

Speaking of trade issues, USMCA is up for review in 2026. How might Trump seek to renegotiate a deal he created? What kind of reaction should the US expect from Mexico if trade tensions continue to rise? And could Canada find itself in the crosshairs as well?

And, of course, we’ll discuss the outlook for steel prices and demand. We’ll take your questions too. So bring some good ones and throw them in the Q&A!

Editor’s note: You can see all of our Community Chats – including a good one from Oct. 30 with trade attorney Lewis Leibowitz – here.