Category: Market Data

The commercial vehicle sector is showing signs of fatigue, but you wouldn’t know it at first glance of the latest government figures.

SMU’s Steel Buyers’ Sentiment Indices moved in opposite directions this week. After rebounding from a near five-year low in late June, Current Sentiment slipped again. At the same time, Future Sentiment climbed to a four-month high. Both indices continue to show optimism among buyers about their company’s chances for success, but suggest there is less confidence in that optimism than earlier in the year.

SMU’s ferrous scrap market survey results are now available on our website to all premium members. After logging in at steelmarketupdate.com, visit the pricing and analysis tab and look under the “survey results” section for “ferrous scrap survey” results. Past scrap survey results are also available under that selection. If you need help accessing the survey results […]

SMU’s latest steel buyers market survey results are now available on our website to all premium members. After logging in at steelmarketupdate.com, visit the pricing and analysis tab and look under the “survey results” section for “latest survey results.” Past survey results are also available under that selection. If you need help accessing the survey results, or if […]

Mill lead times for sheet products were steady to slightly longer this week compared to our late June market check, while plate lead times contracted, according to steel buyers responding to this week’s market survey.

Domestic mills are more open to talk price on new orders than they were in June, according to most steel buyers responding to our market survey this week. Negotiation rates have recovered from the early-June lull and are now just a few percentage points shy of the high levels seen late last year.

Sheet and plate prices slipped this week on so-so demand, sideways scrap prices, and chatter that certain mills were making unsolicited calls looking for tons.

CRU Senior Steel Analyst Alexandra Anderson discusses current market and pricing dynamics for long steel products in the US.

Steel trade groups praised the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill (BBB) in Congress on Thursday.

Following the onset of the war in Ukraine in March 2022, concerns about import availability and expectations of rising demand from President Biden’s Infrastructure Bill pushed US rebar prices to record highs. In response, a flurry of new mills and capacity expansions were announced to meet the rise in demand from growth in the construction […]

Steel buyers this week are lamenting weak demand, cautious buying, and So. Much. Uncertainty. I'm no doctor, but I suggest a dual diagnosis of extreme tariff fatigue and early-onset summer doldrums.

A look at SMU data for the month of June.

GSCC certifies eight products from Steel Dynamics and Arkansas Steel Associates.

CDC Atlantic already houses 13 die-casting machines (ranging from 900 to 1,600 tons), three on-site furnaces, and shot blasting capabilities.

Sheet and plate prices were little changed in the shortened week ahead of Independence Day, according to SMU’s latest check of the market.

The Chicago Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) slipped 0.1 points to 40.4 points, in June.

US housing starts tumbled in May to a five-year low, according to figures recently released by the US Census Bureau. Realtor.com suggests that builders are feeling pressured by high interest rates, rising material costs, and labor shortages, all of which are contributing to weakening sentiment.

Prysmian’s groundbreaking for a 650,000-square-foot, medium-voltage cable facility on Encore Wire’s Texas campus marks a big development in the aluminum wire and cable sector.

Stainless prices in the US market will rise, following price increases by major US producers. Our base case scenario incorporates higher US prices in the near term, despite the initial negative reaction by the market.       US stainless prices will go up in 2025 H2 and will stay elevated in 2026 as tariffs on stainless […]

Both of SMU’s Steel Buyers’ Sentiment Indices edged higher this week. Current Sentiment rebounded from a near five-year low, while Future Sentiment rose to a two-month high

SMU’s latest steel buyers market survey results are now available on our website to all premium members.

Following the uptick seen two weeks ago, lead times eased this week for all four sheet products tracked by SMU, while plate lead times held steady, according to this week’s market survey. Although production times extended across the board in early June, sheet lead times remained near some of the shortest levels recorded since late 2023. Prior to June, sheet production times had shortened from early April through late May, with most products falling to lows not seen in over two years.

The majority of steel buyers responding to our latest market survey say domestic mills are more willing to talk price on sheet and plate products than they were earlier this month. Sheet negotiation rates rebounded across the board compared to early June, while our plate negotiation rate hit a full 100%.

Prices for steel sheet slipped this week despite Section 232 tariffs remaining at 50% and a US strike on nuclear facilities in Iran over the weekend.

SMU’s Mill Order Index (MOI) declined for a third straight month in May, but only marginally.

The forceful headwinds bearing down on steel markets across the globe have created demand challenges and sent prices southward. The US, however, challenged the global trend.  

According to our latest analysis, prices for four of the seven steelmaking raw materials we track declined from May to June. Collectively, these materials declined 3% month over month (m/m) and are down 9% compared to three months ago.

The moves include reciprocal procurement restrictions, import quotas, and the formation of stakeholder task forces for aluminum industries.

Architecture firms reported a modest improvement in billings through May, yet business conditions remained soft, according to the latest Architecture Billings Index (ABI) release from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Deltek.

Earlier this week, SMU polled steel buyers on an array of topics, ranging from market prices, demand, and inventories to imports and evolving market events.