Features

SMU Community Chat: CRU analysts Thais Terzian and Frank Nikolic on Wednesday
Written by Michael Cowden
July 8, 2025
CRU analysts Thais Terzian and Frank Nikolic will be the featured guests on the next SMU Community Chat on Wednesday, July 9, at 11 am ET.
The live webinar is free for anyone to attend. A recording will be available to SMU subscribers. You can register here.
What we’ll talk about
Terzian is a principal analyst at CRU, where she leads crude steel and metallics analysis. She’ll focus on both metallics and semi-finished goods as well as developments across steel markets in Americas. In other words, we’ll discuss not only the North American steel market (as we usually do) but also developments in South America – and how they impact markets here.
Nikolic is vice president of base and battery metals for CRU. We’ll delve into what’s happening in those markets with a particular focus on zinc – a key raw material for anyone in the galvanized steel market.
CRU is SMU’s parent company. And both Terzian and Nikolic bring a wealth of knowledge to the issues that matter to you. They’ll also be speaking at SMU Steel Summit. (The agenda for Summit is here. And you can register here.) So think of this as a preview of what they’ll discuss in Atlanta – and a good way to get the conversation going before Summit kicks off on Monday, Aug. 25.
As always, we’ll keep it to about 45 minutes. You can drop in, learn something – and then get on with your day. We’ll take your questions too. So remember to think of some good ones for the Q&A on Wednesday, July 9, at 11 am ET!
Editor’s note
If you’d like to see past Community Chat webinars, you can find those here. I suggest checking out a good one we did on June 25 with Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). We discussed the impact of President Trump’s tariffs, immigration crackdown, and tax cuts on construction.
Michael Cowden
Read more from Michael CowdenLatest in Features
Price on Trade: The foolishness of free trade with controlled economies
It was only a matter of time before a shutdown happened. And, no, we aren’t talking about the federal government’s lapse in appropriations. On Oct. 9, Beijing announced a series of restrictions that will effectively shut down exports of rare earth elements, magnets, and certain downstream products vital to advanced manufacturing.
Trump pulls plug on trade talks with Canada after anti-tariff Reagan ad
US President Donald Trump took to social media late Thursday night to announce he was canceling trade talks with Canada.
Final Thoughts
Below are some other issues that should be on your radar. Because while prices have been steady, a lot is going on when it comes to news that could impact them.
Steel market chatter this week
What's on steel buyers' minds this week? We asked about market prices, demand, inventories, tariffs, imports, and other evolving market trends. Read on for buyers' comments in their own words...
Join SMU and AMU for a Community Chat with Wiley on Trump, Trade, and Tariffs
Want to know the latest on Trump, tariffs, and trade policy - and the impact on both steel and aluminum? Then join SMU, AMU, and leading law firm Wiley for a Community Chat on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 11 am ET.
