Category: Product

Most steelmaking raw material prices we track saw little change across the month of August. Iron ore, pig iron, shredded scrap, busheling scrap, zinc, and aluminum prices all held relatively steady,

Steel prices remained largely unchanged this week, staying at or near lows last seen in February. All five sheet and plate products tracked by SMU moved by no more than $5 per short ton (st) from the previous week.

The bipartisan Congressional Steel Caucus is pushing for US officials to maintain a robust Section 232 program as they negotiate trade deals with America's trading partners.

Oil and gas drilling activity slowed in the US and Canada this past week. An unfamiliar trend after both regions saw repeated gains of late.

Across the US and throughout the steel supply chain, market participants are reporting another painfully quiet week for hot-rolled (HR) coil sales.  

Domestic sheet prices in the US remained under pressure, limiting interest in imports, while domestic prices for longs products continued to rise.

The question among scrap players is can the market hold its level in the face of coming mill outages? Opinions are divided on the subject.

Carbon steel plate market participants suspect that this week’s modestly softer prices are the result of quietly negotiated prices between plate purchasers and mills.

Steel buyers report steady lead times for sheet and plate products, a soft-sideways trend we've seen since May.

Scraping lower-quartile $800s on nearby futures is bringing limited trading ideas for CME hot-rolled coil (HRC) at present. 

Australia-based global recycler Sims Ltd. has a rosy long-term outlook, while the company said tariffs are supporting US demand for ferrous scrap.

Rep. Haley Stevens (D., Mich.) has announced the relaunch of the bipartisan Congressional Recycling Caucus.

Prices remain subdued in US pig iron market, sources said.

Nucor has lowered its hot-rolled (HR) spot price by another $10 per short ton (st) this week.

With so much happening in the news cycle, we want to make it easier for you to keep track of it all. Here are highlights of what’s happened this week and a few things to keep an eye on.

Oil and gas drilling in the US was unchanged this past week following three straight weeks of declining activity. Canada saw another gain, reaching a 22-week high.

The CRUmpi rose by 0.8% month over month (m/m) to 286.1 in August, following four consecutive months of decline. Scrap prices showed mixed trends across major regions, largely influenced by local supply-and-demand dynamics, government policies, and the relative strength of finished steel markets. US prices were stable while Europe and Asia saw price increases, but […]

The US scrap export market has traded sideways or slightly less for about 60 days, with no real firmness in sight.

Market participants said they have high hopes that the stable hot-rolled spot market will improve as the year rolls on.  

The price spread between prime scrap and hot-rolled coil (HRC) narrowed in August, according to SMU’s most recent pricing data.

The US ferrous scrap market remains in doldrums.

Line pipe manufacturer Welspun Tubular LLC has announced a $150-million expansion project at its site in Little Rock, Ark.

Yesterday’s tragedy and loss of life at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Works is a stark reminder of how important safety in the workplace really is.

Sources in the carbon and alloy steel plate market said they are less discouraged by market uncertainty resulting from tariffs or foreign relations, but are instead, eager to see disruption to the flat pricing environment.

The scrap market traded sideways again in August with little change expected in September, according to sources.

Oil and gas drilling in the US slowed for a third consecutive week, while activity in Canada hovered just shy of the 19-week high reached two weeks prior.

Mill production times for sheet products are holding just above multi-year lows, while plate lead times remain elevated.

Current and future scrap sentiment indices declined this month, according to SMU’s latest ferrous scrap survey data.

Sheet and plate prices were either flat or modestly lower this week on softer demand and increasing domestic capacity.

US plate market participants are not fazed by the constricted nature of the current spot market pricing environment.   Right now, they said, mill’s choosing to hold prices from one month to the next makes sense because service centers remain amply supplied and demand is stable.  Modest upticks or slips in prices are aligned with most of the participants' expectations right now.