As hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices continue to trend lower and we approach the end of 2022, steel buyers are starting to see hopes of a pricing bottom, according to Steel Market Update’s latest survey results. HRC prices this week declined for another consecutive week, with the average price of $615 per net ton, down $15 […]
SMU’s sheet prices slipped again this week. But some market participants predicted that sheet was at or near a bottom. The anticipation of that bottom appeared to pull some big buyers off the sidelines. Large purchases from some pulled the low end of our hot-rolled coil range below $600 per ton ($30 per cwt) and […]
Raw steel production by US mills edged back down last week. The marginal week-on-week (WoW) decline brought output to its lowest weekly total all year, keeping both utilization and output at their lowest levels in nearly two years, according to the latest data from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). Domestic steel output was […]
US plate prices were down marginally last week as spot tons garnered some discounting on limited demand. Plate tags have been eroding slowly in recent weeks with buyers largely on the sidelines. That’s a shift from late October and early November, when prices were roughly flat. Buyers’ focus remains almost exclusively on managing inventories as […]
The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and prime scrap prices has begun to narrow again after three months of stability, according to recent Steel Market Update data. Prices for both products continue to move lower, as they have most weeks since May. The latest HRC-prime spread is exactly one-fourth of what it was this time […]
Prices of steelmaking raw materials moved in differing directions over the last 30 days, as they did the month prior, according to Steel Market Update’s latest analysis. Through the latest data available as of Nov. 16, pig iron and aluminum increased 7% in the last month, coking coal prices rose 6%, and zinc prices increased 4%. […]
New Commitments in Middle East Around Carbon Capture and Alcoa Gives Updates on Elysis Technology We were struck this week by reports from Saudi Arabia that the Ma’aden smelter intends to pursue a carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) approach to reducing its carbon footprint. During the current COP27 event in Egypt, Ma’aden’ Senior Vice […]
US raw steel production slipped 400,000 net tons to 7.22 million tons in September, down 5% from August, according to recently released American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) data. September represents the third lowest monthly production rate seen since 2020, behind February 2021 and February 2022. Production continues to trend downward since peaking in mid-2021. […]
Steel sheet prices fell across the board again this week, with hot-rolled coil prices dropping to their lowest point since late September 2020 – more than two years ago. But industry opinion about the direction of prices has diverged. That’s a significant shift from prior weeks, when sentiment was almost uniformly bearish. Some market participants […]
Most flat-rolled steel imports rose from September to October but were lower compared to year-ago levels. This is according to October import license application data released by the US Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. All steel imports into the US require an import license in order to enter through Customs. The license count provides […]
Raw steel production by US mills edged up last week, ending a three-week slide. The marginal week-on-week (WoW) increase did little for production, keeping utilization and output at their lowest levels in nearly two years, according to the latest data from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). Capability utilization has now been below the 80% […]
Kansas City, Mo.-based EXLTUBE is set to become a part of the Zekelman Industries group of companies. Zekelman has agreed to acquire the assets of the pipe and tube maker from its 20-year owner SPS Companies Inc. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The acquisition includes three EXLTUBE mills and 530,000 square feet of […]
The London Metal Exchange (LME) consultation with industry has come and gone with no action. The Exchange on Friday, Nov. 11, published its response to submissions from the industry on the issue of Russian metals. As a refresher, the LME asked for opinion on three options: • Do nothing • Impose limits on the warranting of […]
Imported sheet and plate products arrived at US ports at a slower clip in September, accounting for a lower share of the domestic market for the third straight month. That’s according to a Steel Market Update analysis of import data from the US Commerce Department and domestic shipment figures from the American Iron and Steel […]
US apparent steel supply eased further in September, down 8% from August to 8.29 million net tons, according to data from the US Department of Commerce and the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). As the lowest monthly figure since February 2021, this was a 19-month low. September supply was 10% below the average monthly rate […]
Engineered pipe and tube producer Northwest Pipe Co. posted sharply higher profits for the third quarter ended Sept. 30. The Vancouver, Wash.-based company said the boost was driven by strong demand and increasing backlogs from its engineered pipeline systems and precast products, according to earnings data released on Tuesday, Nov. 8 All told, Northwest Pipe posted net […]
Sheet prices fell across the board again this week as the slow grind lower that we’ve seen since last spring continued to gain speed. Hot-rolled coil prices fell $30 per ton ($1.50 per cwt) week-over-week. Declines in coated products were more pronounced, with cold rolled down $55 per ton, galvanized down $35 per ton, and […]
US steel export volumes shrunk 10% from August to September, according to the latest US Commerce Department data. 723,000 net tons of steel products exited the country during the month, now the fourth-lowest monthly export rate over the past year and a half. Recall that exports levels in August were at the third-highest monthly rate […]
Raw steel production by US mills continued to slide for a third consecutive week, keeping utilization and output at their lowest levels in nearly two years, according to the latest data from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). Capability utilization has now remained below the 80% mark for 17 straight weeks. Domestic steel output was […]
With the recent trade case decision resulting in antidumping duties placed on both seamless and welded oil country tubular goods (OCTG) imports, Tenaris plans to ramp up its OCTG production in the US as demand and pricing remain strong, according to company executives speaking on a third-quarter earnings conference call with analysts on Friday, Nov. 4. […]
The Hard Work Starts Now, Executing on the Announced New Aluminum Capacity After the flurry of announcements in May and July of this year, the three new greenfield aluminum rolling mills are in various stages of execution. Novelis Breaks Ground Official ground breaking took place on Novelis’ Bay Minette, Ala., mill on Oct. 7. The […]
GrafTech International Ltd. posted sharply lower earnings results for the third quarter as steel demand, and thus demand for graphite electrodes waned, while production at its Monterrey, Mexico facility remains suspended. “Ongoing geopolitical tensions and global economic uncertainty have softened near-term demand for steel and, therefore, graphite electrodes. This, combined with the current inflationary environment […]
The spread between hot-rolled and galvanized coil base prices continues to ease, now standing at the lowest level seen in almost one year. The relationship between hot rolled and galvanized prices has been volatile since late 2021. In the last year, galvanized has sold at a premium of as little as $250 per ton ($12.50 […]
Despite global economic uncertainty, SunCoke Energy Inc. documented a record third quarter performance. “Our Domestic Coke business performed at exceptionally high levels during the quarter which allowed the company to fully realize the benefits of a strong export coke market. Our Logistics segment continued to deliver solid results, with higher volumes and favorable pricing. Additionally, […]
Sheet and plate prices fell across the board once again this week as market participants continue to question when and where the market might bottom. Some not long ago predicted that hot-rolled coil prices wouldn’t fall below $800 per ton ($40 per cwt). Our average price is now well below $700 per ton, with some […]
US plate prices were unchanged this week — the first sideways move in nearly a month. Tags had been eroding slowly of late though buyers have remained largely on the sidelines of the spot market, focused on managing inventories. Nucor’s $120-per-ton ($6-per-cwt) price cut on plate back in mid-September now serves as the top end […]
Raw steel production by US mills slipped again last week, pushing utilization to its lowest rate since the week ended Dec. 26, 2020. Capability utilization has now remained below the 80% mark for 16 straight weeks. Domestic steel output was 1,663,000 net tons in the week ending Oct. 29, its lowest level since it totaled 1,650,000 […]
The Global Arrangement on Sustainable Steel and Aluminum Just over a year ago, on Oct. 3, 2021, the EU and the US signed an agreement to negotiate on carbon intensity and global overcapacity in both steel and aluminum. This lofty goal seemed to have been trumped by the agreement that the US suspended Section 232 […]
Prices of steelmaking raw material moved in differing directions over the last 30 days, according to Steel Market Update’s latest analysis. Through the latest data available as of Oct. 27, coking coal prices increased 15% over the last month, aluminum prices rose 8%, and zinc prices increased 2%. Pig iron prices remained stable. Busheling scrap […]
Preliminary US Census Bureau data indicates that steel imports totaled 2.24 million net tons in the month of September. This is down 11% from the prior month, and is potentially the lowest monthly rate seen since February 2021. Recall that monthly import levels also declined 6% from July to August and 6% from June to […]