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    Ethan Bernard, SMU Team

    July 24, 2026

    Final Thoughts: USMCA column wrap-up

    Written by Ethan Bernard

    I wrote a Final Thoughts back in early May introducing our USMCA review columns from US and Canadian steel trade groups. The idea was simple: the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA), and Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) would each contribute three monthly columns in the lead-up to, and just following, the USMCA review date. That officially started July 1. Well, now that the series has come to an end… it didn’t exactly have a happy ending.

    I guess in a perfect journalistic world, the last column would’ve signed off with a bang. “I’m glad all parties rolled up their sleeves and came to an understanding we can all live with.” Something like that. Maybe, “You will no longer need a PhD in international relations to figure out the extra costs of steel crossing the borders in North America.” The tie-in with the end of the latest World Cup, hosted by all three nations, would’ve been a nice touch. Alas, it was not to be.

    Ethan Bernard

    Ethan Bernard is managing editor for Steel Market Update. He previously worked for American Metal Market as a copy editor in the New York office for two years, starting in 2008. Later, he copy edited AMM’s monthly magazine on a freelance basis from 2015 until 2017. With experience in financial copywriting and textbook publishing, he holds a BA in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley, and an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University. He can be reached at ethan@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7871.

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