Category: Manufacturers/End Users

The US and Canadian rig counts moved higher as oil and gas drilling picked up in the week ending May 29, according to the latest report from Baker Hughes.

Volume, which is usually a big positive for buyers in price negotiations, has arguably become a net negative.

Galvanized steel buyers and distributors expect tightening supply and rising price pressure to last into summer.

General Motors will launch a new vehicle-assembly project at its Ramos Arizpe Complex as part of the automaker’s previously announced $1 billion investment to strengthen its operations in Mexico.

Architecture firm billings retreated modestly in April, with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) reporting another month below the growth threshold.

Steel trade groups have come out in support of the Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America's 250th Act (BUILD America 250 Act)

Trading-company sentiment in the May 15 SMU flat-rolled steel buyers survey shows a market split between anecdotal optimism and numerical decline.

Global shipping volatility is tightening its grip on steel supply chains. And the risks are not easing; in fact, they’re escalating, according to Anton Posner, CEO of Mercury Resources.

The US rig count crept higher for a fourth week, while Canada's count held steady for a second, according to the latest data from Baker Hughes.

Total heating and cooling equipment shipments jumped 24% from February to March according to recently released AHRI figures.

FabArc Steel Supply announced it will be leasing a 60,000-square-foot fabrication facility on 29 acres in Decatur, Ala.

The process to reduce Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs for producers in Mexico and Canada garnered mixed reactions from steel and metals’ supply chain advocacy groups.  

Plate market participants expect additional base price hikes from domestic mills, something that has some eyeing imports.

Multiple risks continue to cloud the automotive outlook, including semiconductor shortages, tariff uncertainty, weaker demand, policy changes, geopolitical disruption, the war in Iran, supply-chain shocks, protectionism, cost pressures, and intensifying competition.

The current rally in sheet prices has lasted more than seven months, something without recent precedent. Unless your definition of recent includes the snapback in demand following the pandemic.

Most manufacturing indicators strengthened through March and showed strong positive annual growth.

AMU: Ford and GM's results show earnings supported by tariff timing and mix, while volumes, inventory, and cash flow point to a constrained supply and uneven demand.

Sheet market participants reported steady to elevated demand over the past week. But while spot prices continued to edge up, some sources said lead times were becoming more closely aligned to industry norms.

Baker Hughes' latest data shows the US rig count inching up by one while the Canadian count held steady in the week ended April 24.

AZZ reported steady demand across its Metal Coatings network, as infrastructure, power, and data center projects continued to drive high galvanizing volumes.

US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer said Mexico should not expect the upcoming USMCA review to result in the removal of US steel and aluminum tariffs, according to media reports.

The economic outlook by metalforming manufacturers remains steady for the next three months, said the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA). 

AZZ Inc. closed fiscal 2026 with record sales and sharply higher profitability, driven by strong demand for hot-dip galvanizing and steady execution across its Metal Coatings network. Its Precoat Metals segment, however, continued to face weaker volumes in construction-related markets.

Revelar Capital's portfolio firm, Steele Solutions, plans to accelerate the pace of operational growth at newly acquired Maysteel Industries.

Core to the negotiations will be the need for a fundamental rebalancing of the relationship between the United States, Mexico, and Canada - especially when it comes to the steel and autos supply chain.

The US and Canadian oil and gas rig counts inched lower this past week, according to the latest Baker Hughes data.

Participants in the hot- and cold-rolled coils market are optimistic about the market's health.

SMU’s Steel Buyers’ Sentiment Indices indicate that steel buyers remain highly optimistic about their businesses’ chances for current and future success.

Manufacturing activity in New York state strengthened in April, with steel-adjacent producers reporting firmer demand and improving throughput, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s latest Empire State Manufacturing Survey.

Ken Simonson, chief economist for The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), will join SMU for a Community Chat webinar on Wednesday, April 15, at 11 a.m. ET.