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    Final Thoughts

    October 9, 2026

    Final Thoughts: No contract tons for you!

    Written by Michael Cowden

    If you’re a Seinfeld fan, you probably remember the classic episode about “The Soup Nazi.” (If you’re not, check out this clip.)

    Spoiler alert: George Costanza tries to negotiate a lower price for bread from a Manhattan shop famous for its soup. He ends up not only with no bread but also with no soup: “No soup for you!”

    Michael Cowden

    Michael Cowden is editor-in-chief for Steel Market Update. Cowden has covered the steel industry since 2007. He specializes in flat-rolled steel but has also reported on steel long products, steel pipe and tube, and aluminum. Before joining SMU, Cowden held reporting jobs at Fastmarkets AMM in Chicago, the Associated Press in Pittsburgh, and the Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh. He has also worked as a copy editor and in marketing at the University of Chicago Press. Cowden has a BA in English from the University of Chicago and an MSJ journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Contact him at michael@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7872.

    Read more from Michael Cowden

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