Final Thoughts

So without further ado, we present them to you to see how life was in days of yore:

Do we have any longtime subscribers who remember these days of Galvanized Steel Update? As for a time frame, we know for sure it was sometime during the presidency of Bush II. Steel Market Update itself didn’t officially launch until 2008.

The first thing one notices about that old survey is it was actually on paper. Paper?! For those under 40 who are unclear on what “Faxing” is, I suggest you ask ChatGPT. However, I will confidently say the process was at least two steps more advanced than the carrier pigeon.

I’m not sure what kind of nostalgia or disbelief these pages triggered in you, but question three really leapt out at me. It’s a through line from the ancient days of paper and pencil right up to today’s digital/AI revolution: Do you find this newsletter to be of value to your company? Yes___ No___

That’s a question that remains at SMU’s forefront as we continue to improve. Whether it be in our surveys or our news coverage, we’re always striving to keep your response firmly in the Yes column.

News

On the news side, that has meant expanding our scrap coverage. We try to give you up-to-date info on what’s happening in the domestic ferrous scrap market, along with the most accurate prices we can provide monthly (IOSCO approved).

Scrap and raw materials are obviously international as well. Whether it’s the export market in Turkey or pig iron in Brazil, we’re working to keep you apprised of the latest market developments. And we curate items to give you the most info in the least time read. We know how busy everyone is.

On the domestic front, we’ve added Kristen DiLandro’s weekly sheet and plate market reports. She reaches out to the market to find out what’s happening behind the scenes, make sense of it, and share it with our subscribers.

And those are just some of our new offerings. Do let us know if you’re hankering to see anything in particular. We always encourage and welcome suggestions.

Keep an eye out as we expand our coverage, offering greater value, and try to discern the signal behind the noise.

Survey

All of our astute readers will have recognized that we no longer fax our surveys in 2025. And I’m sure you’ve noticed other changes as well. While some core questions regarding pricing and buyers’ sentiment remain constant, we also adapt to the changing landscape.

Recently, that’s meant a lot of questions regarding President Trump’s trade policy. Or a bit further back, opinions on previously pending big deals, such as Nippon Steel’s partnership with U.S. Steel, that took a couple of years to complete.

As new issues develop, we will pivot and add more. Speaking of more, we also added a ferrous scrap survey in February. With the US industry relying so heavily on EAFs, we know how important it is for our readers to stay abreast of current opinions and issues and to monitor pricing changes.

If you’re not already participating in one or both of these surveys, now is the time to sign up and stay ahead of the game. More inputs mean more data points. And having more data in 2025, and the means to analyze it, is king.

(Contact info@steelmarketupdate.com to learn more about being an SMU survey participant.)

Website

Just when you thought we’d maxed out on innovation, there’s even more. Early next month, SMU will debut a brand new website. You’ll get all the same amazing info, but the format will change slightly, and the visual experience and organization will be enhanced.

Of course, we have a few more tricks up our sleeve. We can’t wait to share them with you and to bring you an even better product. That’s our mission, and we’re sticking to it. And, as always, we thank you for all your support.