Sheet
May 1, 2025
Written by David Schollaert
US manufacturing activity slowed for a second straight month in April, after trending up for most of Q1, according to supply executives contributing to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM)’s latest report.
The ISM Manufacturing PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) stood at 48.7% in April, off just 0.3 percentage points from 49.0% a month earlier.
Sheet and plate prices continued to tick mostly higher this week amid a supply squeeze that shows no signs of loosening its grip on the US market.
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.
Nucor said on Monday, Sept. 21, that its consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled (HR) coil will be $1,210 per short ton (st) this week, a $10/st increase from a week earlier.
The Commerce Department has found high dumping rates of Chinese tin mill products in the US market.