Category: Manufacturers/End Users

The results of the latest Steel Market Update (SMU) flat-rolled market survey are now available on our website to all premium members.

The Chicago Business Barometer rebounded in September, returning to expansion after slipping into contraction in August.

The overall mill negotiation rate ticked up slightly this week, but the overwhelming majority of buyers are still finding mills inflexible on price, according to our latest survey data.

The latest Manufacturing PMI Report from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) shows the US manufacturing sector experienced growth in September, albeit at a slightly lower pace than in the month before.

Farming equipment manufacturer John Deere announced it will call back more than 375 employees to work across its Quad Cities factory operations.

The Greenbrier Companies received orders for 3,400 new railcars with an aggregate value of ~$600 million during its fiscal fourth quarter ended Aug. 31.

Worthington Enterprises reported higher fiscal first-quarter sales and earnings while citing rapidly growing data center demand and continued tightness in the steel market.

Metalformers’ optimism softened in the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) September Business Conditions Report.

SMU’s latest Flat-Rolled Steel Buyers Survey shows that in a tight US market marked by long lead times, low inventories, and rising prices, foreign products continue to gain the interest of domestic buyers.

Drilling activity increased in the US this week but declined in Canada, according to active oil and gas rig count figures recently released from Baker Hughes. The US rig count rose by four to 595 rigs this week, now at the highest level recorded in over two years. Canadian counts eased to a 10-week low of 197 this week, down 10 rigs from the prior week.

The results of the latest SMU flat-rolled market survey are now available on our website to all premium members.

Service centers and manufacturers on the Sept. 15 HARDI Sheet Metal and Air Handling Council call described a tight, seller-driven market. Lead times are long, deliveries are late, inventories are thin, imports are down, and demand is strong, causing a shortage of galvanized material. SMU regularly joins the council’s meetings to discuss the galvanized sheet market. Participants — members of Heating, Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) — are wholesalers, service centers, distributors, and manufacturers who buy or sell galvanized steel.

Manufacturing activity in New York state continued to expand in September, but at a slower pace than in August, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s latest Empire State Manufacturing Survey.

Total shipments of heating and cooling equipment slowed 11% from June to July, according to the latest figures from AHRI.

Manufacturing picked up across 10 of the 12 Federal Reserve districts. It was again one of the stronger sectors in the Fed's Sept. 2 Beige Book report.

Vehicle affordability pressures are limiting growth in vehicle volumes, according to Mark Strand, deputy chief economist at Cox Automotive. SUVs, fleet activity, and aftermarket work could support steel demand, he told the audience last week at Steel Summit 2026 in Atlanta.

The latest ISM Manufacturing PMI registered 54.6% in August, according to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). The reading was just one percentage point lower than in July.

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 August Business Conditions Report issued by the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) found that North American sentiment improved markedly in August. “While metalformers expressed growing caution in July, this month’s survey reflects a notable improvement in sentiment,” said Mark Getsay, PMA’s managing director. “The increase in companies expecting stronger economic activity and higher order volumes is an encouraging sign.”

Data center construction is supporting US nonresidential construction activity and steel demand, according to Eric Gaus of Dodge Construction Network.

Barry Zekelman supports durable, predictable steel trade protection—and the Section 232 tariffs in particular—as a foundation for reinvestment in domestic manufacturing capacity.

Welspun Corp. has bagged a $1.8 billion order to supply line pipes from its US manufacturing facility.

Canada’s government on Monday announced the largest shipbuilding contract in Quebec’s history.

The results of the latest SMU flat-rolled market survey are now available on our website to all premium members.

Architecture firms reported a modest decline in billings in July, with business conditions remaining soft, according to the latest Architecture Billings Index (ABI) release. The report indicates that the broader economy remained mixed and architecture services employment declined for the fourth consecutive month.

More than 1,200 workers at National Steel Car in Hamilton, Ontario, went on strike last week following the rejection of a contract offer, according to a report by CBC News on Aug. 13.

The latest Baker Hughes data shows drilling activity picked up in the US last week while edging higher in Canada.

Total shipments of heating and cooling equipment improved 10% from May to June, according to the latest figures from the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). The improved month-on-month (m/m) pace also marks the highest shipment rate of the past two years.

Foreign steel remains sharply competitive, inventory levels are mostly steady, and demand is strengthening, according to SMU's Aug. 7 market survey. But buyers are more selective than earlier in the year, even as pricing momentum continues to push spot levels higher.

Ford Motor Co. announced it will reshore production of Lincoln-brand vehicles as part of its commitment to American manufacturing. The Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker said it will phase out the importation of vehicles from China for the US market and increase domestic Lincoln production starting in 2030.