Category: Region

Container shipping lines have sharply increased blank sailings on Transpacific routes in response to escalating trade tensions between the US and China.

The CME Midwest HRC futures market’s response to Trump’s election and subsequent comments about blanket 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico was surprisingly counterintuitive.

Steel Dynamics' top exec thinks Trump’s tariff policies, as well as the results from the recent CORE case, will prove advantageous to the Fort Wayne, Ind.-based steelmaker and aluminum company.

Architecture firms said billings continued to decline in March, according to the latest Architecture Billings Index (ABI) released by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Deltek.

After a hard drop in December — the worst since July 2021 — assembly numbers have climbed three months in a row. Sentiment remains tempered, though.

Manufacturing was mixed, but two-thirds of districts said activity was little changed or had declined.

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

SDI earnings slip in first quarter year over year, but are up sequentially.

SMU’s flat-rolled steel prices were flat or lower as tariff-related uncertainty continued to drag on the market.

The company cited uncertainty about freight rates and demand, regulatory changes and the impact of tariffs.

US domestic sheet price gains have begun to slow as previously pulled-forward demand has led to a decline in orders.

The market appears to be pausing after a turbulent run. But tension remains just beneath the surface. With net long positioning still elevated, sentiment-driven selling could quickly reignite volatility. Still, supply constraints and limited imports are laying the groundwork for a resilient physical market. This moment of calm feels more like a crossroads than a conclusion.

Meanwhile, an increasing number think it's too early to say whether the penalties are going to bring more manufacturing to the US.

Steel buyers responding to this week’s SMU market survey report a continued softening in sheet lead times. Meanwhile, plate lead times have moderately extended and are at a one-year high.

Iron ore prices were largely steady in March, hovering around $100–102 per dry metric ton (dmt) in a quiet market.

Nearly half of the steel buyers responding to this week’s SMU market survey say domestic mills are showing increased willingness to negotiate pricing on new spot orders. This marks a significant shift from the firmer stance mills held in prior weeks.

Current Sentiment Index dropped six points to +42 this week compared to two weeks earlier. It has fallen in every successive survey since reaching a 2025 high of +66 on Feb. 19.

Steel prices slipped again this week, with all five of SMU’s sheet and plate indices trending lower for the second week in a row.

The union is also urging stronger enforcement against countries such as China which break trade rules, and a coordinated Canada-US strategy to protect union jobs across the North America

Firms were pessimistic, with the future general business conditions index falling to its second lowest reading in the more than 20-year history of the survey

Oil and gas drilling activity eased for the third consecutive week in both the US and Canada this week, according to Baker Hughes. US rig counts remain just above multi-year lows, while Canadian activity continues its seasonal slowdown.

President Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order meant to breathe new life into American shipbuilding and curb Chinese dominance in the sector.

A counterintuitive aspect of the 25% tariffs on autos is these percentages are measured in value, not by weight or part count. That means a few costly imported parts can outweigh dozens of cheaper local ones – and vice versa.

The Trump tariff drama continues.

The volume of steel exported from the US declined in February, reversing January’s surge, according to the latest US Department of Commerce figures. This comes just two months after export levels had fallen to a two-year low.

A look at the HR futures market.

US scrap prices declined in April for all the grades tracked by SMU amid tariff uncertainty, according to market sources.

The Canadian steelmaker said its absorbing higher tariffs as it moves forward.

Investment firm Ancora Holdings Group has halted its play for U.S. Steel's board, citing Nippon Steel’s proposed bid for USS “gaining momentum.”

Let’s just say the impact of the latest tariffs on the domestic steel market is uncertain at best.