Teck Resources is now producing zinc with a low-carbon footprint. A new report independently reviewed by PricewaterhouseCoopers shows the extremely low-carbon footprint of refined zinc from Teck’s Trail Operations in British Columbia, Canada. The report shows that Trail Operations’ zinc generates far less CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) per ton than the global average: 0.93 metric […]
Raw steel production by US mills slipped 0.4% last week from the week prior, according to data released by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) on Monday, March 27. Domestic production stood at 1,679,000 net tons in the week ended March 25 vs. 1,686,000 net tons the previous week. It was off 1.8% from 1,710,000 net tons […]
Rig counts dropped in Canada but increased again in the US this week, according to data from oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The total US rig count was 758 for the week ended March 24, up four rigs from the week prior. The number of active oil rigs in the US increased to 593 from the prior week’s […]
It’s not always easy to be a market disruptor, but when done right, it’s worth it. Reibus International is one of those companies hoping to bring change, increased efficiencies, and new ways of doing business to an older industry steeped in tradition. SMU sat down this week with John Armstrong, the founder and CEO of […]
The Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA) announced that TimkenSteel has joined the Washington, D.C.-based steel association. Additionally, SMA said Mike Williams, president and CEO of TimkenSteel, has joined SMA’s board of directors. “We look forward to partnering with our fellow SMA member companies to pursue smart policy on trade and regulation while strengthening the American steel […]
The CRU metallics price indicator (CRUmpi) for March increased by 7.4% month-on-month to 357.7, the highest level since last June. The main developments have been in Turkey, where the tragic earthquake initially had a negative effect on scrap buying from the largest scrap importing country, though in the second half of February this quickly turned […]
Editor’s note: SMU Contributor David Feldstein is president of Rock Trading Advisors. Rock provides customers attached to the steel industry with commodity price risk management services and market intelligence. RTA is registered with the National Futures Association as a Commodity Trade Advisor. David has over 20 years of professional trading experience and has been active […]
What’s perhaps most shocking about Cleveland-Cliffs starting the week up $100 per ton ($5 per cwt) on sheet and targeting $1,200 per ton for hot-rolled coil (HRC) is that many of you didn’t find it shocking. In early February, we got used to prices going up by $50 per ton from one week to the […]
The steel industry in the US, and across much of the developed world, finds itself between two greens. On the one hand is the constant innovation towards sustainable, decarbonized “green” steel. And, on the other, is a more traditional green, the bottom line: money. The hope is to keep the two aligned, increasing profits while […]
How many different ways can we write about pricing increases? I had to look at my thesaurus at one point in an attempt to diversify my choice of words. There are plenty of charts and data that reflect how dynamically pricing has changed over the last month. A good explanation is key to making it digestible to […]
We’ve just seen the biggest week-over-week increase in hot-rolled coil prices since the frenzy following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. SMU’s hot-rolled coil (HRC) price is up $140 per ton ($7 per cwt) week over week. That’s our biggest such gain since prices jumped $210 per ton in mid-March of last year at the height of […]
A sheet supply squeeze is on and, according to some market participants, chances are it’s only going to get tighter. There is no one thing, a war or pandemic, that’s causing the squeeze this time. Instead, it’s a litany of comparatively smaller events that combined have created some real havoc. You know that list by […]
Weekly pricing increases are giving a new reason to have the “Sunday Scaries.” But as we wind down this week, all is quiet on the western front, so far. With regular news of price hikes, hearing mixed opinions from the market is no surprise. For every optimistic view, there’s a louder pessimistic one. We have […]
February came in with a bang and went out with one too. We saw two rounds of $50-per-ton sheet price increases early in the month. Then one of $100 per ton. And finally Cleveland-Cliffs came in near the buzzer on Monday with another $100-per-ton price hike. We think that was the last shot of the […]
Sometimes it’s hard to know who your friends are. What starts offs as a simple disagreement escalates. Things can soon spin out of control. And that’s just for people. When dealing with nation states like the US and Mexico, things get a bit more complex, and the stakes a whole lot higher. At the beginning […]
Last week I talked about lead times and price increases. After the week we’ve had, I could easily copy and paste the same sentiments. (Although I don’t think I’m allowed to publish some of what I’ve heard lately.) Aside from the obvious reasons, price increases come with some extra baggage for many organizations. A few […]
Sheet prices increased this week as another blitz of price hikes – this time $100 per ton ($5/cwt) – spurred the market higher. The latest announcements from the likes of Nucor, Cliffs, US Steel, and ArcelorMittal, all setting a new base price for hot band of $1,000 per ton, are yet to be reflected in […]
Domestic hot-rolled coil (HRC) kept its competitive price advantage over imported steel – now on a 16-week run. However, it has continued to lose momentum over the past four weeks, according to Steel Market Update’s latest foreign vs. domestic price analysis. US HRC is approximately 2.2% cheaper than foreign prices this week, down from 3.4% […]
US Steel said it will supply General Motors (GM) with verdeX® sustainable steel produced at Big River Steel, its electric-arc furnace (EAF) sheet mill in Arkansas. The low-carbon steel produced at the Osceola, Ark., mill will begin shipping to GM manufacturing facilities starting this year, the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker said. “We are pleased to join GM in […]
The construction outlook for 2023 is shaped by the tug-of-war between private- and the public-sector spending. That’s according to Edward Sullivan, chief economist and senior vice president of market intelligence at the Portland Cement Association (PCA), a trade group representing the cement and concrete industries. The private-construction sector is retreating under the weight of interest rate hikes. But […]
Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) has named Barry T. Schneider to the newly created position of president and COO, effective March 1. Schneider is a 28-year veteran of the Fort Wayne, Ind.-based steelmaker. He has been senior vice president of its flat-roll steel group since March 2016, where he was responsible for flat-roll steel operations across three steel mills […]
Sheet prices continue to rise, extending a rally that began the week after Thanksgiving. SMU’s hot-rolled coil price is now above $800 per ton ($40 per cwt) for the first time since early August, roughly six months ago. At $810 per ton on average, HRC prices are up $30 per ton from $780 per ton […]
US Steel restarted the No. 3 blast furnace at its Mon Valley Works in western Pennsylvania because of stronger demand, company executives said. The Pittsburgh-based steelmaker intends to keep the No. 8 blast furnace at its Gary Works in northwest Indiana temporarily idled “for now,” chief financial officer Jessica Graziano said. “We’re watching the order […]
Now that the new year is one-twelfth over, the changes from last year are taking shape. In foreign policy and trade, a primary focus has changed from economics to geopolitics. Trade between the West and China, which has been the key metric for the last 20 years, has tapered off, although it remains strong. Trade […]
Worthington Industries Inc. has announced the senior leadership teams for New Worthington and Worthington Steel. The appointments will be effective on completion of Columbus, Ohio-based Worthington’s planned separation of the steel processing business, tentatively set for early 2024. “The leadership teams of New Worthington and Worthington Steel reflect the unique focus and strategic priorities of […]
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. aims to increase spot prices for steel sheet by at least another $50 per ton ($2.50 per cwt). The Cleveland-based steelmaker said the move was effective immediately and applied equally to hot-rolled, cold-rolled, and coated products. The company said it also set a minimum base price of $850 per ton for hot-rolled coil, […]
Evraz North America Inc. said it would lay off workers in Canada because of high volumes of low-priced imports. The company noted that “unfairly traded imports” continue to negatively impact its Canadian operations. “Due to these imports, and starting next month, Evraz North America will make production adjustments that will regrettably result in layoffs at its Canadian […]
Boston Metal has announced $120 million in funding for its effort to fully decarbonize steel production. The Woburn, Mass.-based company said the first close of Series C fundraising was led by an investment from international steelmaker ArcelorMittal. Other investors include Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund and SiteGround Capital. “In Boston Metal, we are investing in a […]
Business conditions continued to contract at architecture firms in December, though slightly fewer firms reported a decline in billings, according to a report from The American Institute of Architects (AIA). AIA said the pace of decline during December slowed from November, with an Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score of 46.5 vs. 46.6, respectively. The ABI […]
Demand for galvanized sheet is stable, according to members of the Heating, Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) Sheet Metal/Air Handling Council. A few high points from this month’s meeting are that prices have climbed for the first time since April, import levels are low, and the spread between hot-rolled (HR) and galvanized material is […]