Flat rolled prices were mixed this past week with benchmark hot rolled dropping some of its recent gains. The spread between Steel Market Update (SMU) and Platts on cold rolled shrunk compared to what we reported one week ago. Coated products were mixed with galvanized steel remaining at prior-week levels and Galvalume increasing by $10 […]
U.S. steel exports in September totaled 903,388 net tons (819,541 metric tons), down 1.5 percent over August, but up 13.6 percent from September 2016. Total exports have averaged around 885,000 tons over the last few months after reaching a 2.5-year high in May (1,006,087 tons). The total September export figure is above both the three-month […]
There was a surge in foreign steel imports during calendar year 2014. That high rate continued into the first half of 2015 at which time the domestic steel mills filed antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) cases on CORE (coated steels), cold rolled and hot rolled steels. The U.S. Department of Commerce investigation found most […]
Foreign steel imports for the month of October 2017 were just over three million net tons, based on the license data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) earlier this week. The 3,110,002 net tons were essentially unchanged from the Final Census Data released for the month of September when the U.S. imported 3,086,196 […]
Flat rolled steel prices were mixed this week. There was no clear-cut direction being set, although the expectation is for prices to rise once lead times go into January. For that matter, we did hear from some steel buyers who placed December HRC orders for $600 per ton and at the same time placed January […]
A couple of weeks ago, ArcelorMittal USA announced price increases taking flat rolled steel base prices on hot rolled to $625 per ton and $41.25/cwt base on cold rolled and galvanized. We have yet to see spot prices out of the domestic steel mills reach the prices suggested by AMUSA. The rest of the industry […]
U.S. raw steel production for the week ending Nov. 4 totaled 1,715,000 net tons, a 9.0 percent increase from the same period last year, but down 1.4 percent from the prior week. The mill capability utilization rate for the week averaged 73.6 percent, down from 74.6 percent the prior week and 68.7 percent the prior […]
On Monday, SSAB sent a letter to customers advising of the company’s intention to raise spot transaction prices by a minimum of $40 per ton ($2.00/cwt) effective immediately. The increase covers all “…As-Rolled Mill Plate, Cut-to-Length Plate >72”, Hot Rolled Coils >72”, as well as Normalized and Quenched & Tempered Plate.” SSAB also advised that […]
Flat rolled steel prices moved higher, while steel plate prices slipped this past week, according to the steel indexes followed by Steel Market Update. Benchmark hot rolled price averages exceeded $600 per ton ($30.00/cwt) on both Platts ($620 per ton) and Steel Market Update (SMU), which was a little lower at $605 per ton. SteelBenchmarker […]
We have been watching the market very carefully looking for signs of a complete change in momentum, which would spur prices to move higher over time. We are finding hot rolled and cold rolled prices strengthening at the lower end of the range, and there have been some adjustments to coated products on a weekly […]
Today the U.S. Department of Commerce released foreign steel import license data for the month of October. Based on the license data imports for October will be approximately three million net tons. This is essentially unchanged from the 3,050,618 net tons reported as Preliminary Census Data for September. As you can see by the table […]
Commodities prices are a mixed bag. The price of iron ore is falling, but zinc is at a 10-year high. In this report, we examine the latest prices for iron ore, scrap, coking coal and zinc. On Oct. 25, commodities analyst Andrew Hecht wrote: “President Xi is likely to consolidate his power and take greater […]
U.S. raw steel production for the week ending Oct. 28 totaled 1,739,000 net tons, a 5.1 percent increase from the same period last year, and up 0.5 percent from the prior week. The mill capability utilization rate for the week averaged 74.6 percent, down from 74.3 percent the prior week and 70.8 percent the prior […]
Flat rolled steel prices were seen as bouncing higher, according to the Platts steel indices. Platts had hot rolled up $22 per ton to $613.75 (we rounded it to $614), while SteelBenchmarker was down $10 to $600 per ton. Steel Market Update reported HRC down $5 to $580 per ton. We saw a similar change […]
Steel imports into the U.S. increased by nearly 20 percent in the first nine months of the year, giving imports an estimated 28 percent share of the U.S. steel market—much to the ire of domestic steelmakers. Citing preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute on Wednesday reported that steel imports year to […]
It has only been one week since ArcelorMittal USA increased flat rolled steel prices. As the week progressed, it became obvious that steel mills were reacting to the price announcements in different ways. We heard from steel buyers that some mills withdrew open quoted pricing and repriced at new levels at least $40 per ton […]
Steel Market Update (SMU) found steel buyers receptive to speaking their minds on how various steel mills are responding to the price increase announcements made last week. It appears mills with shorter lead times are perhaps a little more receptive to waiving part or all of the increases. Other mills have better order books and […]
The trend for foreign steel imports into the United States continues to be right at 3 million net tons for the month of October. The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) updated license data collected for the month of October through today, Oct. 24. We take the license data for the first 24 days of the […]
U.S. raw steel production for the week ending Oct. 21 totaled 1,731,000 net tons, a 4.6 percent increase from the same period last year, but down 0.7 percent from the prior week. The mill capability utilization rate for the week averaged 74.3 percent, down from 74.8 percent the prior week and 70.8 percent the prior […]
Many of the domestic steel mills raised prices on Tuesday and Wednesday of this past week. ArcelorMittal USA lead the way by announcing specific “minimum” base prices on hot rolled ($625 per ton), and cold rolled and galvanized steels ($825 per ton each). The other mills all announced $40 per ton price increases (which to […]
Cleveland Cliffs posted net income of $53 million in the third quarter that included an $89 million loss after paying down debt and a $32 million gain from discontinued operations. Debt was reduced to $1.7 billion compared to $2.2 billion in Q3 2016. “We are very pleased with our accomplishments so far this year, in […]
ArcelorMittal USA began advising their customers late this evening of their intention to raise flat rolled steel base prices. In an internal memo sent to the ArcelorMittal commercial team the mill advised, “All new opportunities for hot rolled, cold rolled and coated sheet products that require delivery in the 4th Quarter of 2017 should be […]
Flat rolled steel prices continued their slow slog south (prices are moving lower). The pace has not accelerated, but there are questions as to whether some of the mills are cutting “quiet” deals in order to fill their fourth-quarter order book without giving the steel away. One service center put it to us this way: […]
The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) provided license data through Oct. 17 (today) regarding the amount of foreign steel slated to come into the United States during the month of October. Based on the license data, the trend is for yet another 3 million net ton (or higher) month. There are some significant changes to […]
U.S. raw steel production for the week ending Oct. 14 totaled 1,744,000 net tons, a 5.4 percent increase from the same period last year, and up 0.2 percent from the prior week. The mill capability utilization rate for the week averaged 74.8 percent, up from 74.7 percent the prior week and 70.8 percent the prior […]
One of the questions we get regularly is what are steel buyers and sellers of steel saying about their business (demand) and inventory levels? Over this past week, Steel Market Update spoke with quite a few companies and asked them how they were seeing business and if their company was building flat rolled or steel […]
The pace of the slide affecting flat rolled and plate steel prices quickened this past week. Steel Market Update (SMU) analyzed the price movements reported by Platts, SteelBenchmarker and SMU and found that almost every product was lower by the end of the week than it was the previous week. Benchmark hot rolled broke through […]
The expectation has been for a huge swing lower in the amount of flat rolled foreign steel imports coming into the United States in October. The industry is waiting for the combination of the drying up of the surge of orders placed to “beat” any Section 232 duty and the impact of higher world steel […]
Zinc prices continue their rally that began in early 2016, taking the metal’s price to a 10-year high and raising the cost of producing galvanized steel and other products. Zinc prices have managed to breach the psychological ceiling of $3,000 per metric ton, which stalled rallies in November 2016 and February 2017. Breaking this ceiling […]
This Steel Market Update analysis of sheet and plate imports by district of entry and source through August 2017 includes both coiled and cut-to-length plate for the first time. We believe that misinformation (or a lack of) about regional import volumes is often used to influence purchase decisions. Our intent with this analysis of tonnage […]