Category: Features

Movements in lead times were mixed in SMU’s check of the market this week – a reflection of the seasonal dip in ordering that is typically seen during the winter holiday season.

On Dec. 6, US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) reintroduced the Clean Competition Act, an environmental trade directive that would impose charges on imports from more carbon-intensive manufacturers.

On Monday and Tuesday of this week, SMU polled steel buyers on a variety of subjects, including steel sheet prices, lead times, scrap prices, performance, purchasing, and demand. Rather than summarizing the comments we received, we are sharing some of them in each buyer’s own words. We want to hear your thoughts, too! Contact david@steelmarketupdate.com to be included […]

I want to thank the Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) for the opportunity to speak at their annual conference in Phoenix. I enjoyed the proceedings and participating in a panel for HARDI’s sheet metal/air handling council. I can’t recap all that we discussed in a few hundred words. But I’d like to share […]

Sheet prices shot higher again this week on the heels of another round of mill price increases as well as on reports of production and supply chain issues at certain domestic producers.

Steel prices continued to rally last month on the back of repeated mill price increases after tags reached a 2023 low of $645 per ton in late September. Hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices ended November at an average of $923 per ton ($46.15 per cwt), rising by $140 per ton during the month. The SMU Price […]

The 2024 Tampa Steel Conference is less than two months away. It is one of the premier domestic steel conferences and a great compliment to our record-breaking SMU Steel Summit this past August.

A coalition of manufacturers, retailers, and stakeholders stands opposed to the imposition of import duties on tin mill products.

It’s no surprise why spot prices are on the rise: Mills have been announcing higher flat-rolled tags for the better part of the past three months, according to our steel mill price increase calendar. A leading cause of the $305-per-ton rally since prices reached a recent bottom of $645 per ton in late September has […]

Bank of America SVP Ira Kreft will be the featured speaker on SMU’s Community Chat webinar on Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 11 am ET. We’ll discuss M&A in the steel and metals industries. Is there still room for consolidation in flat-rolled steel?

Steel dominated the industries seeking repeated relief from unfair trade between 1995 and 2020, according to a new report compiled for the International Trade Commission (ITC).

Following the United Auto Workers (UAW) union strike, organized labor seems to be enjoying a moment.

Algoma Steel’s CEO Michael Garcia joined SMU Managing Editor Michael Cowden for a Community Chat on Wednesday, Nov. 29. A great discussion was had on topics ranging from plate pricing to decarbonization efforts, raw materials strategies, and more.

On Monday and Tuesday of this week, SMU polled steel buyers on a variety of subjects, including steel prices, demand, inventories, imports, and what people were talking about in the market.

I want to address a few things in this 'Final thoughts': the latest SMU survey results, the plate market, and the potential sale of U.S. Steel.

SMU’s Current and Future Steel Buyers Sentiment Indices have both increased, based on our most recent survey data as of Wednesday, Nov. 22.

Lead times for all steel sheet products but cold rolled were extended last week as prices trend upwards.

The percentage of steel buyers saying mills were willing to negotiate spot pricing has fallen for all products SMU surveys, according to our most recent survey data.

Sometimes a journalist’s life comes with unexpected perks. That is, beyond the day-to-day of writing stories, a wayward email can come across the Inbox with an attractive invite, and the promise of free food.

Steel Market Update will be taking time off in observance of Thanksgiving. Our offices will be closed on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 23–24. We will not publish an issue on Thursday, Nov. 23, or on Sunday, Nov. 26.

The 2024 Tampa Steel Conference is only nine weeks away. Tampa Steel is one of the premier steel conferences in the country. It is a great follow-up to the record-breaking SMU Steel Summit in August.

Algoma is an important Canadian flat-rolled steel producer. It is also a significant supplier to the US market. We’ll discuss current dynamics in the North American sheet and plate markets – as well as some of the particulars of the Canadian market.

There has been almost an assumption that US mills would get the $950-1,000 per ton ($47.50-50 per cwt) they were seeking on HR base and $1,150-2,000 per ton ($57.50-60 per cwt) for cold-rolled and coated base. Recall that Cliffs initially announced an increase and said it was seeking $1,000 per minimum for hot-rolled coil. Nucor […]

Last week was billed as big. The annual meeting of members of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in San Francisco convened amid much fanfare. A much-anticipated meeting between President Biden and President Xi Jinping of China was a featured event. So also, was the anticipated completion of the framework agreements establishing the Indo-Pacific Economic […]

The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and galvanized sheet base prices has been hovering near $200 per net ton since late July, according to SMU’s latest analysis.

European Aluminium, an association representing the entire European aluminum value chain, announced in a press release that it supports the European Commission's proposed 12th package of sanctions against Russia.

United Auto Workers (UAW) members have ratified a new labor contract with Detroit-based General Motors, the largest US automaker. In other words, the UAW strike that began on Sept. 15 - and that rattled the steel industry in the months leading up to it - is almost in the rear-view mirror.

SMU discussed wind energy, a promising end-use market for steel, with SSAB Americas’ SVP and CCO Jeff Moskaluk.

On SMU's Nov. 15, 2023, Community Chat, the CEO of the Center for Automotive Research discussed steel's role in the automotive industry's transition to EVs.

Algoma Steel CEO Michael Garcia will be the featured speaker on SMU’s Community Chat webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 11 am ET. You can register here.