New orders for US manufactured durable goods rose unexpectedly in June after a surprising increase the month prior. June’s gain was boosted by a surge in defense aircraft as well as a sustained demand for equipment. Last month’s bookings for durable goods were up 1.9% following a 0.8% gain a month earlier, according to the Commerce Department. […]
The US economy contracted in the second quarter of 2022, declining for the second straight quarter. Some economists consider two consecutive quarters of negative GDP to be the definition of a recession. Gross domestic production in Q2 declined at -0.09% annualized pace, according to advanced estimate from the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis […]
By CRU Economists Filippos Papasavvas and Veronika Akhmadieva, from CRU’s Global Economic Outlook. Contribution from CRU Sr. China Economist Henry Hao. We have further upgraded our US Trade-Weighted Index (TWI) forecast, which we now forecast to average 122.7 in 2022 Q4 from 120.5 previously. The change reflects our more pessimistic outlook for all other major […]
US consumer confidence fell again in July, declining for the third consecutive month, The Conference Board reported. Americans grew even more pessimistic about the US economy over the past 30 days, with the latest survey showing declines in consumer attitudes, intentions and expectations in July. The drop came on the heels of an even larger downward […]
Global crude steel production was estimated at 158.1 million metric tons in June as steelmakers around the world cut back on output by 9.8 million metric tons, or 5.8%, from the same period last year, the World Steel Association (worldsteel) reported. Last month’s estimated production was also down sequentially, shrinking by 6.7%, or 11.4 million […]
World crude steel production tumbled in June, down 5.9% versus the same period last year. Last month’s output was also down 6.7% when compared to May, declining for just the second time this year, according to World Steel Association (worldsteel) data. Global output was estimated at 158.1 million metric tons in June. Steelmakers around the […]
Producer prices rose moderately in June, maintaining a sustained 27-month growth run. Last month the headline index grew by just 3.3%, seasonally adjusted, but was up 23.4% compared to the same year-ago period, the US Labor Department reported. The wholesale level was hit hard by inflation as well in June. The producer price index (PPI), […]
Demand for design services from architecture firms in the US continued to grow in June, though at a modest pace. The June AIA Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score was down marginally month-on-month (MoM) but marked the 17th consecutive month of growth following the pandemic-induced downturn in 2020. The June ABI registered 53.2, down fractionally from […]
Leaders of the American steel industry gathered with members of the Congressional Steel Caucus on Wednesday in Washington, to discuss the state of the industry and how Congress can continue to support this critically important sector of the economy. Topics of discussion at the Caucus hearing included building and supporting critical supply chains and domestic manufacturing, […]
The US economy has expanded at a modest pace since mid-May, the Federal Reserve said in its latest Beige Book report. But while the economy continues to grow, it has been exhibiting signs of a slowdown over the past month. And recession concerns are rising, the report said. The latest temperature check by the Fed on […]
Business activity in the state of New York saw a modest increase in July, following a sideways move the month prior, according to the Empire State Manufacturing Survey. The New York Fed’s Empire State headline general business conditions index – a gauge of manufacturing activity in the state – rose 12.3 points in July to […]
Total mill shipments of steel products grew in May, after shrinking the month prior. May’s mill shipments totaled 8.38 million tons, a 3.1% increase from April’s 8.12 million tons. Apparent supply also recovered in May, up 3.9% versus the prior month. This analysis is based on steel mill shipment data from the American Iron and Steel Institute […]
Data on US industrial production, capacity utilization, orders and inventories continued to improve through the first half of 2022, indicating a strengthening manufacturing sector. The health of the manufacturing economy has a direct bearing on the health of the steel industry. The Industrial Production (IP) Index The IP index is a gauge of output from […]
By CRU Research Analyst James Mills, from CRU’s Multi-Commodity Monthly Report The upside risk to commodity prices created by the war in Ukraine diminished in June as markets assessed the impact of a slower global demand growth outlook, higher inflation expectations, and a continuation of Covid-19 lockdowns in China. Bearish Economic Forecasts Are Downside Risk […]
The US economy added 372,000 new jobs in June, while the unemployment rate held unchanged at 3.6%, and the labor force shrank by 353,000 people, according to the Labor Department. Hiring last month slowed only slightly, and the US job market remains resilient despite high inflation and waning economic growth. Job gains have slowed since […]
The US labor market added 372,000 jobs in June, an unexpected boost in hiring. It was ahead of most expectations and only slightly down from May’s revised 384,000 additional payrolls. The result kept the unemployment rate unchanged month on month (MoM) at the pandemic-era low of 3.6%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Payroll gains […]
Steel prices continued to ease each week throughout June, following declines in May as well. Hot rolled prices were $1,190 per ton ($59.50 per cwt) the first week of June. Prices then slipped between $45 and $90 each of the following weeks, with the SMU index averaging $995 per ton as of last Tuesday. (This […]
The S&P Global US manufacturing PMI – another measure of manufacturing – fell to 52.4 in June, its lowest level in nearly two years, as business activity in the manufacturing sector expanded at a much weaker pace last month. Last month’s results are down from 57 in May and missed the market expectation of 56 […]
US manufacturing activity expanded at a much slower pace in June than in May. The employment, new orders, and prices paid indexes all fell month-on-month (MoM), according to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). June’s Manufacturing PMI fell to 53%, a 3.1-percentage-point decline compared to a reading of 56.1% in May. The measure came in weaker […]
The US economy shrank in the first quarter of 2022 at a slightly worse rate than expected, with gross domestic production declining at a -1.6% annualized pace, according to the third and final estimate from the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). The third review for Q1 was a slight downward revision from […]
US consumer confidence fell to a 16-month low in June, falling for the second straight month. The consumer expectation index, meanwhile, hit its lowest mark in nearly a decade. An onslaught of grim economic news continues to erode Americans’ view of their present and future prospects, The Conference Board reported. Rising inflation, a key driver of […]
New orders for US manufactured durable goods rose more than expected in May, suggesting business investment remains resilient even in the face of deteriorating business and consumer sentiment as well as heightened fears of a recession. Last month’s bookings for durable goods rose 0.7% following a revised 0.4% decline a month earlier, according to the […]
World crude steel production rose in May, gaining ground for a third consecutive month and reaching its second-highest mark on record. Global output was estimated at 169.5 million metric tons in May. Steelmakers around the world increased production by an estimated 6.8 million metric tons, or 4.2%, from April, according to World Steel Association (worldsteel) data. […]
Demand for design services from architecture firms in the US continued to expand in May, though the score was down three points month-on-month (MoM). May marked the 16th consecutive month of growth following the pandemic-induced downturn in 2020. The May AIA Architecture Billings Index registered 53.5, down slightly from April’s score of 56.5, according to […]
Global crude steel production was estimated at 169.5 million metric tons in May as steelmakers around the world expanded output by 6.8 million metric tons, or 4.2%, from the prior month, the World Steel Association (worldsteel) reported. Since reaching an all-time high of 174.4 million metric tons last May, global steel output had steadily waned […]
By CRU Economist Veronika Akhmadieva, from CRU’s Global Economic Outlook With a higher-than-expected headline CPI inflation reading of 8.6% in May, the Fed opted for an even more aggressive monetary tightening. After a 50 bps increase in the federal funds rate in May – which is the highest increase since 2000 – the Fed raised […]
By CRU Senior China Economist Henry Hao, from CRU’s Global Economic Outlook and China Macro Monthly In May, overall economic activity in China has improved marginally as the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions led to the resumption of production in late May. Export and infrastructure investment have regained momentum. However, prospects for construction remain weak. While the contraction […]
Business activity in the state of New York was little changed in June, following a surprising fall in May, according to the Empire State Manufacturing Survey. The New York Fed’s Empire State headline general business conditions index – a gauge of manufacturing activity in the state – rose 10.4 points in June but remained at […]
Total mill shipments of steel products slipped in April following a slight uptick the month prior. April’s mill shipments totaled 8.12 million tons, 2.6% decline from March’s 8.34 million tons. Apparent supply also fell in April, down 4.7% versus the prior month. This analysis is based on steel mill shipment data from the American Iron and Steel […]
The European Union is adjusting its steel safeguard measures, according to a document filed at the World Trade Organization. The EU’s safeguard instrument is entering its fifth year of application. The liberalization rate, which is meant to progressively allow more import competition into the market while the domestic industry adjusts to it, had previously been […]