Category: Steel Products

Movements in lead times were mixed in SMU’s check of the market this week – a reflection of the seasonal dip in ordering that is typically seen during the winter holiday season.

American steel mills sent out more tons of steel in October than the previous month, according to the latest monthly data from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). Domestic mills shipped 7,346,373 net tons in October, up 1.3% from the 7,252,942 tons sent out in September. Shipments were also up 1.9% compared to the […]

On Monday and Tuesday of this week, SMU polled steel buyers on a variety of subjects, including steel sheet prices, lead times, scrap prices, performance, purchasing, and demand. Rather than summarizing the comments we received, we are sharing some of them in each buyer’s own words. We want to hear your thoughts, too! Contact david@steelmarketupdate.com to be included […]

Steel used to be cited as a big sticking point in the energy transition, but this is no longer the case. Fossil-fuel-free steel is real and is being produced. However, immediate and enabling policy support is needed to scale up and roll out new technologies at scale.  The production of steel represents some 7% to […]

Ryerson Holding Corp. announced Dec. 4 that it acquired Hudson Tool Steel Corporation. The Cerritos, Calif.-based Hudson is a supplier of tool steels and high-speed, carbon, and alloy steels. The company has additional locations in Loves Park, Ill., and Dover, N.H. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. “Hudson’s offering of high-quality standard and specialty-grade […]

Mining-metal group Rio Tinto has completed a transaction to purchase half of US aluminum recycling company Matalco from owner, the Giampaolo Group, for $700 million (€638 million), subject to final closing adjustments. The companies will turn Matalco into a 50:50 joint venture. The investment will expand Rio Tinto’s aluminum business in the US, where demand […]

AM/NS Calvert will continue providing hot rolling tolling services for Outokumpu for the time being.

Raw steel production in the US rose in the week ended Dec. 2, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute’s (AISI’s) report on Monday, Dec. 4.

The Biden administration’s climate ambitions are laudable. Buy Clean programs have the potential to meaningfully reduce CO2 emissions, supporting the American steel industry and its workers.  Buying clean steel In February 2022, the administration launched the federal Buy Clean initiative and established its Buy Clean Task Force. These programs prioritize the use of American-made, low […]

CRU analysts share an update on the aluminm markets.

The active rotary rig count for the week ended Dec. 1 inched up in the US but slid in Canada, according to Baker Hughes.

Worthington Industries has completed its split into two separate companies: Worthington Steel Inc. and Worthington Enterprises Inc.

The Canadian government has given ArcelorMittal-linked Baffinland Iron Mines permission to dispatch up to 6 million metric tons per year from its Mary River mine in Nunavut territory, higher than the 4.2 million metric tons per year previously permitted. The approval from northern affairs minister Dan Vandal allows Baffinland to make the extra shipments if […]

US Hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices continue to move higher following repeated mill increases. The trend has caused domestic tags to become far more expensive than imported offshore hot band.

Six US manufacturers of oil country tubular goods (OCTG) have come together to establish a Washington, D.C.-based trade association to promote the domestic industry.

Optimism is on the rise among metalformers who expect less volatility in economic activity in the coming months, according to the November business report from the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA).

Nucor Corp. announced in a letter to customers on Tuesday afternoon that its plate mill group would increase as-rolled discrete plate, normalized, and quenched-and-tempered plate by $40 per ton ($2 per cwt).

SSAB Americas has announced plans to increase plate prices by at least $60 per ton ($3 per cwt), with the opening of its January 2024 order book. The price hike applies equally to as-rolled, normalized, quenched-and-tempered, and wide cut-to-length plate products. It is effective immediately on all new, non-contract orders, the company said in a […]

The increase in steel imports from September to October was higher than license applications had suggested earlier this month.

The latest SMU market survey results are now available on our website to all premium members. After logging in at steelmarketupdate.com, visit the pricing and analysis tab and look under the “survey results” section for “latest survey results.” Historical survey results are also available under that selection. If you need help accessing the survey results, […]

The active rig count for the US and Canada both inched up for the week ended Nov. 22, according to Baker Hughes. The rig count was released early this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

A year after signing purchase agreements with two US steelmakers, Trane Technologies has shipped more than 1 million HVAC units produced with low-carbon steel.

Galvanized steel buyers reported a seller's market with steady demand, long lead times, and strong pricing on this month’s call of the Sheet Metal/Air Handling Council of the Heating, Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) association.

Raw steel production in the US inched up in the week ended Nov. 18, according to data released by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) on Monday, Nov. 20.

The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) reading from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Deltek showed a decline for the fifth consecutive month in October. The index dropped to 44.3 in October, 0.5 points below 44.8 in September – and marking the lowest score since December 2020. The ABI is a leading economic indicator for […]

Surging US sheet prices and expanding lead times are making imports more attractive. The automotive workers’ strike is essentially over, and domestic US sheet prices have rocketed higher alongside lead times. There is little to suggest that the momentum of these price increases will slow over the next month or two, and thus imports have […]

The active rig counts for week ended Nov. 17 were up in the US, while the Canadian counts declined, according to Baker Hughes.

The US plate market has been rather quiet over the past couple of weeks since Nucor Corp. caught many off guard with a $140-per-ton price cut.

The iron ore price has been rising from the $118 /dry metric ton (DMT) level seen in the last edition, initially due to greater optimism in China after the government’s RMB 1 trillion fiscal stimulus announcement. The price has gotten some extra support from concerns over supply, though the current price level is not backed by […]

Nucor executives discussed the specifics of the company's 'net-zero by 2050 strategy' during a webcast on Nov. 14.