Steel Market Update’s Steel Buyers Sentiment Index moved 4 points lower this week, following a 3-point bump up two weeks prior and an 11 point surge in mid-March. Theses sentiment measures correlate with the sharp rebound in steel prices caused by the Ukraine-Russia war, as well as the recent slowdown seen in prices. Steel Market Update’s latest benchmark price […]
On Monday, April 18, Nucor and USS-UPI both notified customers of an upward revision to their galvanized steel coating extras. New Nucor extras are effective June 4, 2022, while USS-UPI extras are effective immediately (April 19, 2022). “Consistent with our practice to monitor the cost of zinc, we have revised our galvanized coating weight extras […]
The Energy Information Administration’s April Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) continues to remain subject to a high level of uncertainty due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Regarding price forecasts, the EIA continues to warn that “actual outcomes will be dependent on the degree to which existing sanctions are imposed on Russia, any potential future sanctions, and […]
The latest SMU Market Survey results are now available on our website to all Premium members. After logging in at SteelMarketUpdate.com, visit the Analysis tab and look under the “Survey Results” section for “Latest Survey Results.” Historical survey results are also available in the Survey Results section under “Survey Results History.” If you need help […]
The competitive advantage foreign import prices hold over domestic steel is relatively unchanged from our previous update, with most prices moving just $10-$20 from last week, according to SMU’s latest foreign versus domestic hot-rolled coil (HRC) price comparison. Select foreign HRC prices range from $305 per ton cheaper than domestic prices to $27 per ton more expensive, […]
Steel mill lead times appear to be steadying this week for four of the five sheet and plate products we track. They are also rising at a slower rate compared to the big gains seen in March. Steel Market Update’s latest check of the market indicates sheet lead times increased by an average of 0.2 weeks […]
The firm grip mills have held on price negotiations remains but may be softening, according to buyers polled in our latest market survey. Every two weeks, SMU asks respondents: Are you finding domestic mills willing to negotiate spot pricing on new orders placed this week? On average this week, three out of four steel buyers reported that mills are […]
Ferrous scrap prices were mixed in April, with busheling up $75 per gross ton (GT), shredded scrap flat, and HMS down $20/GT. These were not the movements scrap experts had expected, with late March forecasts calling for obsolete grades up $50-$100/GT over March and busheling up $120-$200/GT. “April ferrous markets have settled and suffice it […]
Sheet prices were flat or fell modestly across this board this week for the first time since late February. Case in point: SMU’s average hot-rolled coil price slipped to $1,450 per ton, down $10 per ton from last week. The decline, while negligible in absolute terms, marks the first time HRC prices have not risen […]
US apparent steel supply levels slipped 11% from January to February, down 997,000 net tons to 8.37 million tons, according to the latest US Department of Commerce and American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) data. Recall that just last September, the market saw the highest monthly supply level in over six years (9.92 million tons). […]
We still have a few spots remaining in our upcoming Introduction to Steel Hedging: Managing Price Risk course, which will run virtually on April 26-27, 2022. Steel Market Update and Spencer Johnson, StoneX Financial Inc. – FCM Division, along with the CME Group, will be conducting a workshop for those who are actively involved in the buying or […]
Plate prices have remained relatively steady while sheet prices declined and then surged over the past six months. Plate prices typically carry a premium over hot rolled prices because plate is a value-added product and requires more time on the mill. SMU’s hot rolled coil price averaged $1,460 per ton ($73 per cwt) last week and has risen each of the past […]
US heating and cooling equipment shipments in February rose 0.8% from January to 1.84 million units, up 9.2% from levels one year prior, according to recent data from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). The highest monthly shipment rate on record was recorded last June, when 2.32 million units were shipped in a single month. […]
Total active drilling rigs in the US increased this week, while Canadian rigs declined further, according to recent data released by oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The number of active oil and gas drilling rigs in operation is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of oil country tubular goods (OCTG) […]
Foreign import prices are slowly gaining back their competitive advantage over domestic steel, according to SMU’s latest foreign versus domestic hot rolled steel price comparison. Select foreign HRC prices range between $327 per ton cheaper than domestic prices to $46 per ton more expensive, after taking freight costs, trader margins and tariffs into consideration. Recall that the price differentials between […]
US steel exports increased 5% in February to 727,000 net tons, following a 6% rise in January, according to the latest US Department of Commerce data. The 12-month moving average through February has now reached a 3-year high. February exports are 7% higher than levels seen one year ago. As shown in the graph below, […]
Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Patrick Toomey (R-Pa.) want President Biden to lift the 25% Section 232 tariff on steel imports from Ukraine. They note in a letter to the president that Ukraine is the 13th largest steel producer in the world, and that as much as 80% of that steel is exported. The senators said that […]
Nucor announced today that it has entered into an agreement to fund NuScale Power, LLC, a developer of small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear plants. SMRs are nuclear reactors that can operate independently or in tandem with other modules to produce carbon-free electric power on a smaller scale and at a lower cost than traditional nuclear power. […]
Steel prices rose again this week on continued strong demand (outside of automotive). But hot-rolled coil price gains moderated for the second week in a row. SMU’s benchmark hot-rolled coil price rose to $1,460 per ton this week, up $25 per ton from $1,435 per ton last week and marking the smallest week-over-week gain since […]
Final Census data confirms that February steel imports declined 23% month-over-month to 2.35 million net tons, now at an 11-month low compared to January’s two-year high. March import licenses through April 4 are up to 3.08 million tons, a 31% increase over February and 1% higher than January. Current April licenses are already at 449,000 […]
Nucor announced today that it has acquired Elite Storage Solutions, a steel racking manufacturer employing 180 full-time teammates at locations in Monroe, Ga., and Chandler, Ariz. This $75 million acquisition expands Nucor’s steel racking capabilities and builds on the company’s acquisition of Hannibal Industries last year “We are excited to grow our steel racking capabilities with this acquisition of Elite Storage Solutions. […]
Steel prices rose each week in March, and the increases were the first in six months. Hot rolled prices were down to $1,000 per ton ($50 per cwt) the first week of March, the lowest level seen since December 2020. Prices then surged $435 per ton throughout the month, with the SMU index averaging $1,435 per ton […]
SMU’s Steel Buyers Sentiment Index moved 3 points higher this week, following an 11 point surge in mid-March. Theses jumps in sentiment correlate with the unexpected rebound in steel prices caused by the Ukraine-Russia war. Steel Market Update’s latest check of the market pegged the benchmark price for hot rolled coil at $1,435 per ton […]
The latest SMU Market Survey results are now available on our website to all Premium members. After logging in at SteelMarketUpdate.com, visit the Analysis tab and look under the “Survey Results” section for “Latest Survey Results.” The historical survey results presentations also are available in the Survey Results section for “Survey Results History.” If you […]
Steel mill lead times continue to extend, but they are rising at a more moderate pace compared to early March. Steel Market Update’s latest check of the market indicates that lead times for sheet and plate increased by an average of 0.6 weeks, compared to an average jump of 1.2 weeks two weeks prior. Buyers surveyed […]
Mills are increasingly holding firm on higher prices. The result: the buyer’s market we saw at the beginning of the year is offically over. Every two weeks, Steel Market Update asks buyers: Are you finding domestic mills willing to negotiate spot pricing on new orders placed this week? The overwhelming majority of steel buyers polled this […]
Steel Market Update sources expect ferrous scrap prices to rise yet again in April, with obsolete grades potentially up $50-$100 per gross ton over March and busheling up $120-$200 per gross ton. The big anticipated gains in April follow record price increases in March due to the Ukraine-Russia war. “I have to say, this is one […]
Preliminary Census data shows that steel imports in February fell 23% month-over-month to 2.34 million net tons, falling from a two-year high to an 11-month low. March import licenses through March 28 are currently at 2.69 million tons, up 15% from February but down 12% compared to January. Total finished steel imports are preliminarily at 1.85 million tons in February, down 19% from […]
We still have spots remaining in our upcoming Introduction to Steel Hedging: Managing Price Risk course, which will run virtually on April 26-27, 2022. Steel Market Update and Spencer Johnson, StoneX Financial Inc. – FCM Division, along with the CME Group, will be conducting a workshop for those who are actively involved in the buying or selling of […]
Sheet prices continue to rise with new, higher offers from some domestic mills: as much as $1,500 per ton for hot-rolled coil and $1,900 per ton for cold-rolled and coated product. Despite those higher pricing levels, gains on the hot-rolled side have moderated. SMU’s benchmark hot-rolled coil price now stands at $1,435 per ton ($71.75 […]