Manufacturers/End Users
August 31, 2026
Written by Laura Miller
Business cooled off in Chicago in August, falling into contraction territory for the first time since April, according to the latest Chicago Business Barometer reading.
The Barometer fell 10.5 points from July to 47.1 in August. It fell below the 50-point neutral mark for the first time since April and was the lowest reading since December.
Total shipments of heating and cooling equipment cooled further in August, according to the latest figures from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). After falling 11% month on month (m/m) in July, shipments slipped another 10% in August. The monthly pace marks the third-slowest shipment rate year-to-date. Shipments of water heaters, air conditioners, and heat pumps declined m/m, while warm-air furnace shipments picked up. Compared with a year earlier, only air conditioners and heat pumps increased.
Shipbuilding is set to return to Sparrows Point, Md. President Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced plans to develop a new shipbuilding facility at the site called Arsenal-2. The 2-million-square-foot facility sitting on an 187-acre site will manufacture critical components for the Virginia-class submarine. Sparrows Point is the former site of Bethlehem Steel, once the world's largest steel mill, and the Bethlehem Sparrows Point Shipyard.
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.
SMU’s latest Flat-Rolled Steel Survey points to largely stable demand, but foreign steel orders have softened since the previous survey, and service centers continue to report stronger activity than manufacturers.
The results of the latest Steel Market Update (SMU) flat-rolled market survey are now available on our website to all premium members.