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    Analysis

    May 19, 2026

    SMU Survey: Steel buyers report mixed signals on import demand

    Written by Laura Miller

    Trading-company sentiment in the May 15 SMU flat-rolled steel buyers survey shows a market split between anecdotal optimism and numerical decline.

    Several traders described demand as improving: “More and more customers want alternative supply options,” said one. “Demand intact,” reported another. “Building slowly,” said a third. The survey shows 83% of trading companies report an increase in orders and 17% report a decrease (slide 55 below). That compares to 80% and 20%, respectively, in our previous survey.

    Laura Miller

    Laura Miller is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. She has held various editorial positions with steel industry publications, associations, and mills since 2007. She joined the SMU team in 2022. She is a member of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries and a past-president of the AWMI Pittsburgh Chapter. She holds a BA in Latin American Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

    Read more from Laura Miller

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