Category: Trade/Traders

November steel exports tumbled 15% from October to the lowest monthly export rate since July 2020.

Steel imports remain weak in November and December according to recently released final US Commerce Department data. Many of the sheet and plate products we follow slipped to multi-year lows.

The US Department of Commerce has found that certain steel pipe rolled in Oman using Chinese hot-rolled coil is illegally circumventing anti-dumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVDs).

What do SMU's latest survey results show about the current market take on tariffs and where HRC prices are going?

If forced to choose between Canada and Mexico, many manufacturers are likely to prioritize Mexico as the more important manufacturing hub.

US steel imports have fallen sharply under the new 50% Section 232 tariff regime. Jerry Richardson, general director of CSN LLC, discussed on an SMU Community Chat this week how the market is now structurally tighter and more volatile than at any point in the past decade.

Last week, the government of China reported a trade balance of $1.12 trillion in 2025, the largest merchandise trade surplus in history. And this surplus was despite massive tariffs imposed by the United States and other countries, partly in an effort to rein in China’s trade juggernaut.

The amount of finished steel that entered the US market contracted from September to October, driven primarily by slowing domestic mill shipments, according to SMU’s analysis of Department of Commerce and American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) data

The Commerce Department has released preliminary countervailable subsidy rates in the ongoing rebar trade case.

The volume of steel shipped outside of the country increased 11% from September to October 2025 to a seven-month high of 662,000 short tons (st), according to recently released data from the US Department of Commerce.

Members of the Congressional Steel Caucus met in Washington on Wednesday to assess the state of the domestic steel industry. Lawmakers and industry leaders discussed the importance of Section 232 tariffs, strong trade enforcement, and continued investment in American steelmaking.

According to recently released final US Commerce Department data, US steel imports rebounded 11% month on month (m/m) in October 2025 after falling to a multi-year low one month earlier. The latest license figures suggest imports eased back by 3% in November and by another 2% in December, with trade again nearing historical lows.

As we move into 2026, it’s time to look forward. While the “Donroe Doctrine,” Venezuela, and Greenland absorb significant press attention, important trade developments will also continue to make headlines this year. The unprecedented changes we saw in 2025 will continue in 2026, particularly in the areas of IEEPA and tariffs, USMCA, and the WTO.

The formation of the domestic scrap market for January shipments is underway and only partially settled as of this article's publication. The main point of contention is the price of #1 busheling and bundles.

If anti-dumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVDs) on certain pipe and tube were allowed to expire, the US Department of Commerce has found that dumping and illegal subsidies would continue at noteworthy rates.

The US Department of Commerce has officially published the anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders on corrosion-resistant steel sheet imports, the final step in the trade case originally filed more than a year ago. At the same time, Commerce also revealed it is allowing some CORE imports into the country without paying the AD or CVDs.

Editor’s note This is an opinion column. The views in this article are those of an experienced trade attorney on issues of relevance to the steel market. They do not necessarily reflect those of SMU. We welcome you to share your thoughts as well at smu@crugroup.com. As we close out 2025, my best wishes to all […]

Apparent steel supply rose to 8.64 million short tons in September, driven primarily by higher domestic mill shipments despite a sharp drop in finished imports.

The European Commission is aiming to have Section 232 tariffs eased on steel and aluminum, with a special eye towards derivative products as well, as it negotiates with the Trump administration, according to a report in Politico on Dec. 15.

Following August’s modest 4% uptick, the volume of steel shipped outside of the country slipped 8% in September to 594,000 short tons, according to recently released data from the US Department of Commerce.

US Congressmen Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) have introduced the Strengthening Trade Enforcement and Evasion Limitations Act (STEEL Act) into the House of Representatives. The bipartisan bill aims to curb unfairly traded imports and strengthen US trade enforcement.

In our opinion, it is striking that for all the bold talk about establishing a "common external tariff" — or "Fortress North America" — the solutions being proposed fail to live up to their promises. As we have commented recently, USMCA certainly needs a rethink. But we have serious concerns about Canadian and Mexican proposals that suggest common trade policies that are, as we see it, more illusory than effective.

According to recently finalized US Commerce Department data, US steel imports tumbled to a near five-year low in September

The Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) is urging the Trump administration to keep Section 232 steel and aluminum measures focused on rebuilding US capacity, rather than using them as bargaining chips in unrelated negotiations.

The price gap between stateside hot band and landed offshore product has inched closer to parity, now at its lowest level since the summer.

A steelmaker in the Southeast has entered the market for shredded, P&S, and HMS at prices of $20/gt over November.

SMU’s latest steel buyers market survey results are now available on our website to all premium members.

US steel imports declined considerably in September and October, with trade falling to reduced levels not seen in nearly five years.

Wiley attorneys Alan Price and Ted Brackmeyer argue that significant changes to the USMCA and continued Section 232 tariffs on Canada and Mexico are needed to support American steelmaking.

You may have heard about traders “canceling” metal on the London Metal Exchange and shipping it out. Here's a guide to understand that process.