Chinese steel trade data was recently released for the month of November 2019, providing updated data on iron ore imports, scrap imports, and flat rolled imports and exports. Chinese imports of iron ore in November totaled 90,652,000 metric tons, a decrease of 2.4 percent from the previous month, but an increase of 5.1 percent from […]
Key Market Indicators showed a substantial improvement in market trends in the December data. This report is designed to be a big picture summary of data SMU has reported in detail during the month. It summarizes 36 data streams that describe the state of the steel market and provide forward guidance for steel buyers and […]
Steel production in the U.S. declined in the period from September-November 2019, but by less than the rest of the world, excluding China, according to Steel Market Update’s latest analysis of World Steel Association data. Figure 1 shows annualized monthly global steel production on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis and capacity utilization since January […]
By CRU Chief Economist Jumana Saleheen, from the CRU Steel Sheet Products Market Outlook Global Economic Outlook: 2019 has been an eventful year. Many decisions were taken, including tariffs and monetary policy easing. Other decisions were put-off, such as Brexit and auto tariffs. Looking back to our expectations at the start of 2019, four things […]
Orders of durable goods in November declined at their sharpest rate since May, falling 2.0 percent after a downward revision to October’s data. Economists were expecting orders to rebound by more than 1.0 percent in November. A boost in transportation orders was anticipated due to the ending of the GM strike. Orders for autos and […]
Steel buyers sentiment has seen little change in the past several weeks as the market pauses to digest the latest price increases and looks ahead to the beginning of the new year. The goal of the index is to measure how buyers and sellers of steel feel about their company’s ability to be successful today […]
In four rounds of price increases since late October, flat rolled steel mills have raised prices by a total of $150 per ton. How much are they collecting? Some, but certainly not all, according to the service center and manufacturing executives who responded to Steel Market Update’s questionnaire this week. SMU data places the average […]
Steel Market Update is pleased to share this Premium content with Executive-level subscribers. For more information on how to upgrade to a Premium-level subscription, email Info@SteelMarketUpdate.com. The U.S. economy continued to grow in 2019, but at a slower rate as the year progressed. The third estimate of U.S. GDP growth in Q3 2019 was 2.1 […]
Fitch Ratings, a global leader in credit ratings and research, is forecasting a negative outlook for the global steel industry in 2020 and challenging conditions in North America. The Fitch Ratings 2020 Outlook: Global Steel notes weaker economic growth impacted by ongoing trade and geopolitical tensions. “Over the past two years companies have talked at […]
The U.S active rig counts increased this past week, while Canadian rig counts declined, according to oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The active drill rigs count is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of oil country tubular goods demand. The number of active U.S. rigs rose by 14 to 813, […]
Members of the Precision Metalforming Association are a bit more positive about business conditions for 2020. The December PMA Business Conditions Report shows an uptick in the percentage of survey participants who predict an improvement in economic activity during the next three months, while also noting a decline in current average daily shipping levels. The […]
The U.S. dollar has weakened against 12 of the 16 steel trading nation currencies in the last three months. In this report we examine the change in currency values of the 16 pre-eminent global steel and iron ore trading nations. The currencies of these 16 don’t necessarily follow the Broad Index value of the U.S. […]
Based on Steel Market Update’s analysis of 10 indicators, there is a faint glow in the manufacturing environment. This report summarizes 10 data streams that describe the state of U.S. manufacturing in general and the steel industry in particular. We have reported on most of these separately in our Steel Market Update publications, and therefore […]
Crude oil prices broke out to the upside in December, but the rig count continues to decline. U.S. exports of crude oil and petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, naphtha, and many others, exceeded imports in September by 89,000 barrels a day, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported on Nov. 28. Thus, the U.S. […]
After a brief hesitation early in the month, mill lead times for spot orders of flat rolled steel have continued to increase. The latest data shows slightly longer lead times for all flat rolled products except for Galvalume. Plate lead times have extended, as well. Lead times for steel delivery are a measure of demand […]
Negotiations between steelmakers and steel buyers continue to tighten. Responses to Steel Market Update’s market trends questionnaire this week indicate the mills are slightly less flexible on price for most products as they work to collect four increases announced since late October totaling $150 per ton. In the hot rolled segment, the majority of buyers […]
By CRU Principal Analyst Matthew Watkins, from the Steel Sheet Products Market Outlook The European Green Deal for the EU was launched on Dec. 11 by the new European Commission. This is a strategy that aims both at achieving zero net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050 and at managing the transition to that state […]
Steel Market Update is pleased to share this Premium content with Executive-level subscribers. For information on how to upgrade to a Premium-level subscription, email Info@SteelMarketUpdate.com. Steel production in the U.S. in 2018 was the highest since 1981, according to the World Steel Association, which released its statistical yearbook for 2018 on Dec. 16. Crude steel […]
Steel Market Update conducts two flat rolled and plate steel market trends surveys every month. Our early December analysis indicates the flat rolled distributors are raising spot prices to their end-user customers, and in the process supporting at least a portion of the four recent price increases totaling $150 per ton ($7.50/cwt). Whether the mills […]
Whether mills succeed in raising spot prices depends in large part on the support they receive from distributors. The latest Steel Market Update data from service centers, verified by data from their customers, indicates that steel prices have maintained their upward trajectory into the new year and show no signs of slowing. As indicated by […]
Steel Market Update’s analysis of flat rolled and plate inventories and shipments for the month of November: Flat Rolled = 51.1 Shipping Days of Supply Plate = 56 Shipping Days of Supply Flat Rolled Sheet steel inventories increased in November, and the SMU Service Center Inventories Report shows that service centers have an abundance of […]
The Empire State Manufacturing Survey indicated muted business conditions for manufacturers in New York state in December. The general business index gained only 0.6 points. “As has been the case for the past several months, manufacturing firms in New York State reported that business activity was little changed over the month. The general business conditions […]
In October, demand for sheet products declined by more than the seasonal norm. Demand for long products is softening as construction expenditures decline. This analysis by Steel Market Update is based on steel mill shipment data from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and import-export data from the U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC). The […]
The popular press often gets overly excited or depressed by a single month’s employment report, but November really was an exceptional month. Net job creation in November increased to 266,000 following upwardly revised results for September and October. September was revised up by 13,000 and October by 28,000. Rising employment and wages are the main […]
Manufacturing gained 54,000 jobs in November, more than offsetting the effects of the GM strike. Construction added 1,000 jobs last month, as well. The private sector gained 254,000 jobs in November as government gained 12,000 positions. Table 1 breaks total employment down into service and goods-producing industries and then into private and government employees. Most […]
With little likelihood of a recession any time soon, the U.S. economy appears to be in better shape than many people believe. This Steel Market Update analysis attempts to provide guidance on the likelihood of a recession in the next six months. Steel demand is related to GDP, but is vastly more volatile both on […]
Commerce Department data indicates a slowdown in steel product shipments and new orders in 2019. Steel industry trade association data from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and the Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) are most widely used to assess the state of the industry. In addition, the Census Bureau provides monthly data on […]
The U.S active rig counts declined again this past week, while Canadian rig counts rose, according to oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The active drill rigs count is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of oil country tubular goods demand. The number of active U.S. rigs fell by 3 to […]
Steel buyers sentiment, which had been trending up for the past several weeks right along with steel prices, showed the first signs of leveling off this week. Both the Current and Future Sentiment readings had only a 1 point change in the latest data. The goal of the index is to measure how buyers and […]
In the spirit of the season, Keith Gunter of McElroy Metal offers the following poetic look back at the year in steel: ‘Twas almost Christmas and all through the land, Steel increases were announced but will they all stand? Buyers are wary as steel mills try to pounce, Is this for real, or just […]