Analysis
February 15, 2026
Written by Michael Cowden
First, I want to say a big thank you to everyone who attended the Tampa Steel Conference. More than 600 people – smashing the record we set last year.
In other ways, 2026 felt similar to 2025: Once again, President Trump (or someone in his orbit) provided us with some news to react to live from the stage. Namely, the “derivative” Section 232 tariffs on downstream steel and aluminum products are being reviewed.
Steel imports into the US crept higher in August and continued climbing in September, according to the Department of Commerce's latest import license data.
SMU’s Current and Future Scrap Sentiment Indices were stable and trending up in October, according to the latest data from our ferrous scrap survey.
Earlier this week, SMU polled steel buyers on topics ranging from market prices, demand, and inventories to tariffs, imports, and evolving market events. Below, we share a selection of the comments we received, in each buyer’s own words.
The US Department of Commerce is considering raising the anti-dumping duties on imports of corrosion-resistant steel products (CORE) from Korea.
Worthington Steel said tight US steel supply, low imports, and extended lead times constrained shipments and quoting opportunities during its first fiscal quarter, even as the conditions supported pricing and spread sustainability.