Reliance finds competitive advantage amid suboptimal market conditions
Strong steel prices and elevated interest rates may be reshaping the competitive landscape among metals distributors.
Category: SMU
Steel, raw materials exempted from finalized forced labor 301 tariffs
Steel and many steelmaking raw materials have been spared from additional forced labor Section 301 tariffs.
Export scrap market for Turkey springs back
The export market for scrap for Turkey has come back to life over the last week.
SMU Steel Demand Index grows at a slower pace
SMU’s Steel Demand Index saw a slight decline in growth, slightly behind early July, but remaining in elevated territory, according to mid-to-late July indicators.
SMU Survey: Steel Buyers’ Sentiment Indices remain strong
SMU’s Steel Buyers’ Sentiment Indices indicate that buyers remain confident in their companies’ prospects today and in the near future.
SMU flat-rolled market survey results now available
The results of the latest SMU flat-rolled market survey are now available on our website to all premium members.
SMU's Mill Order Index expands in June
SMU’s Mill Order Index 2continued to expand in June. The result came as service center on-order volumes and new order entries continue to rise, according to our latest service center inventories data.
SMU Survey: Extended lead times persist on sheet and plate
Steel mill lead times have trended upward since last November and now stand at or near multi-year highs for all products.
Miller on Pig Iron: Brazilian trade with US picks up
The Brazilian pig iron trade with the US has resumed after a month of inactivity.
SMU Survey: Mill negotiability slips, sheet hits multi-year lows
The majority of steel buyers responding to our market survey this week report that mills are holding a firm grip on prices
SMU Price Ranges: Sheet prices rise to multiyear highs
Sheet prices continued to grind higher this week on factors familiar to most steel market participants: extremely limited spot availability, long lead times, low inventories, and firm demand.
Miller on Scrap: Heading for another sideways month?
A mid-month look at the developing US August scrap market.
Apparent steel supply at multi-year high in May
Apparent steel supply jumped 8% from April to May to a near four-year high, according to recent Department of Commerce and American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) figures.
US steel exports stabilized in May at low levels
Steel exports eased 1% in May and remain significantly lower than trade of previous years.
SMU Steel Summit 2026: Who’s driving change—and what’s to come?
We’re just a few days away from initiating an official 30-day countdown until SMU Steel Summit 2026 in Atlanta.
US HR prices unchanged, imports vary slightly
SMU’s average price for domestic HR remained flat, holding firm for the past three weeks. In offshore markets last week, prices mainly moved higher.
SMU Community Chat: Zekelman talks demand, data centers, and trade enforcement
Barry Zekelman showed up to last Wednesday’s SMU Community Chat as his usual self: energized, blunt, and unapologetically bullish on the US steel industry.
Steel imports recovered further in May and June
Monthly steel imports rose back above 2 million short tons (st) in May and June, further recovering from the historic lows seen late last year, according to recent Commerce data.
Plate sources predict higher spot prices, no peak in sight
Some domestic plate market sources expect spot price rises through the end of the year due to prolonged supply constraints.
June service center shipments and inventories report
US service centers’ flat-rolled steel supply was down marginally in June, and lower for a sixth straight month. Shipping days of supply slipped to 44.5, according to SMU data.
HRC vs. prime scrap widens again in July
The spread between domestic hot-rolled coil and prime scrap prices widened further in July, a trend that started back in September. It’s at its widest level since April 2022.
SMU Price Ranges: HR and CR steady (again) as coated, plate continue to tick upward
Hot-rolled and cold-rolled prices held steady again this week while prices for coated products and plate continued to tick upward.
SMU Survey: Mills benefit from tariffs as buyers wait for supply
SMU’s July 10 Flat-Rolled Steel Survey results paint a picture of a steel market being squeezed from every direction. Tariffs are holding prices up and giving mills a clear advantage, while manufacturers and traders say the policy is pushing their costs higher.
SMU's scrap tags settle soft sideways in July
SMU’s scrap prices came in soft sideways in July, according to market sources.
Brazilian pig iron, tariff stacking at center of Section 301 fight
Testimony at last week’s Section 301 hearing put Brazilian pig iron in the spotlight. Domestic steelmakers and Brazilian suppliers warned that proposed forced labor tariffs would hit a critical US input for which there is no domestic substitute.
AISI: Raw steel mill output slips, holds historically strong
Domestic raw steel output eased to an 11-week low last week, according to recently released American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) figures
US scrap tags end up soft sideways in July
The US scrap market has settled soft sideways in July, sources told SMU.
Commerce seeks comments in new Section 232 probe into coal imports
The Commerce Department has opened a new Section 232 national security investigation of anthracite and metallurgical coal imports. The department is seeking detailed input from the industry on supply risks, import dependence, and potential national security impacts.
SMU Survey: Continued optimism in Buyer Sentiment Indices
SMU’s Steel Buyers’ Sentiment Indices were once again strongly optimistic this week, based on responses collected from steel executives in our latest market survey.
US CR remains more expensive than most imports
Cold-rolled (CR) coil prices were unchanged in the US this week, while offshore prices varied, though mostly trended up.