The market is just starting to react to the $40 price increase announced by the flat rolled mills late last week, making it a little tricky to settle on the price ranges in this issue of Steel Market Update. Generally speaking, it appears flat rolled prices are leaning upward, though SMU’s Steel Price Momentum Indictor […]
As expected, import licenses for semifinished steel have seen a big jump in October, the first month of the fourth quarter, as domestic mills seek to secure needed slabs ahead of quarterly quota restrictions on imports from Brazil and other nations. Steel Market Update’s forecast of import licenses for the entire month show semifinished imports […]
We saw modest movement in hot rolled this week as our survey respondents, both manufacturing and service centers, were consistent in reporting a decrease in the upper end of our range while holding the line at the bottom. As we reviewed the data, the vast majority of buyers were reporting numbers in the $460-$480 range […]
The following calculation is used by Steel Market Update to identify the theoretical spread between foreign hot rolled steel prices (delivered to U.S. ports) and domestic hot rolled coil prices (FOB domestic mills). We want our readers to be aware that this is only a “theoretical” calculation as freight costs, trader margin and other costs […]
The U.S and Canada active rig count declined again this past week, according to oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The active drill rigs count is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of oil country tubular goods demand. The number of active U.S. rigs fell by 5 to 851, with oil […]
Flat rolled prices took a steep dive lower this week as benchmark hot rolled dropped below $500 per ton for the first time since early November 2016. The spreads between hot rolled and cold rolled/coated products continue to be close to $200 per ton and even higher for Galvalume. We are collecting a small number […]
August apparent steel supply rose to 9,625,558 net tons, the highest level seen since April of this year, according to data from the American Iron and Steel Institute and U.S. Department of Commerce. Apparent steel supply, a proxy for demand, is determined by adding domestic steel shipments and finished U.S. steel imports, then subtracting total […]
August heating and cooling equipment shipments came in at 1.85 million units for the month, up 4.7 percent over the same month one year ago, according to data recently released by the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). This is the second consecutive month that total monthly equipment shipments have increased on a year-over-year basis […]
Preliminary data for the full month of September, based on Commerce Department import licenses, shows that steel imports likely totaled less than 2 million tons last month. This is comparable to the final Census data for August, putting imports for the past two months at well below average. One notable difference in September–estimated finished steel […]
The U.S. exported 650,838 tons of flat rolled steel in August, according to final Census data, a 5 percent rise from July, and up 1 percent from the same month one year ago. This is the highest monthly export figure since July 2018 when 655,937 tons of steel were exported outside of the country. August […]
Prices for all steel products saw further declines this week as price momentum continues to point firmly downward. The benchmark hot rolled price set a new low for the year, below the $520 per ton level reached in June. Here is how we see prices this week: Hot Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $480-$550 […]
The U.S. active rotary rig count, an indicator of oil country tubular goods demand, declined last week, according to oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The number of active U.S. rigs fell by 5 to 855, with oil rigs down 3, gas rigs down 2, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged. Compared to this time last year, the […]
U.S. raw steel production in August fell 0.3 percent to 8,152,796 net tons, reports the American Iron and Steel Institute in Washington. August production is in line with the 2019 average of 8,147,242 tons and down 1.1 percent compared to the same month last year. Broken down by production method, 5,752,849 tons (70.6 percent) were […]
The following calculation is used by Steel Market Update to identify the theoretical spread between foreign hot rolled steel prices (delivered to U.S. ports) and domestic hot rolled coil prices (FOB domestic mills). We want our readers to be aware that this is only a “theoretical” calculation as freight costs, trader margin and other costs […]
September saw big downturns on both steel price momentum and steel buyers sentiment that aren’t readily evident in the monthly data (below) from Steel Market Update. SMU’s Price Momentum Index was pointing downward for the entire month of September. The benchmark price for hot rolled steel averaged $565 per ton for the month, down nearly […]
Questions about demand, tariffs, trade wars and the overall health of the economy continue to put downward pressure on steel prices. Here is how we see prices this week: Hot Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $500-$550 per ton ($25.00-$27.50/cwt) with an average of $525 per ton ($26.25/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The […]
With about a week left in the month, U.S. steel imports in September are trending to total about 2 million tons, based on Steel Market Update’s projection of Commerce Department license data. Total imports in both August and September are significantly below average, primarily because of the surge in semifinished imports in July. Slab imports, […]
We saw further weakening in pricing this week, based on the active flat rolled and plate steel market trends questionnaire which began on Monday. We did see evidence of pressure on prices from a number of different areas. From the service centers, we saw reports of hot rolled at $500 per ton. However, we do […]
Total U.S. raw steel production in the month of July rose 2.4 percent to 8,178,563 net tons, reports the American Iron and Steel Institute in Washington. August production is right in line with the 2019 average of 8,146,449 tons and is up 0.5 percent compared to the same month last year. Broken down by production […]
July apparent steel supply was calculated at 9,351,701 net tons, according to data recently released by the American Iron and Steel Institute and U.S. Department of Commerce. Apparent steel supply, a proxy for demand, is determined by adding domestic steel shipments and finished U.S. steel imports, then subtracting total U.S. steel exports. July apparent steel […]
The U.S. active rotary rig count, an indicator of oil country tubular goods demand, declined this week, according to oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The number of active U.S. rigs fell by 18 to 868, with oil rigs down 14, gas rigs down 5, and miscellaneous rigs up 1. Compared to this time last year, […]
The following calculation is used by Steel Market Update to identify the theoretical spread between foreign hot rolled steel prices (delivered to U.S. ports) and domestic hot rolled coil prices (FOB domestic mills). We want our readers to be aware that this is only a “theoretical” calculation as freight costs, trader margin and other costs […]
U.S. steel imports were trending considerably below average though mid-September at less than 2 million tons, based on Commerce Department license data. Imports of semi-finished steel, tracking at just over 360,000 tons, are a bit more than half the normal level, as the mills are still working off the nearly 1.2 million tons of slabs […]
Flat rolled and plate steel prices have definitely reversed course and are moving lower, based on the results of our market analysis this week. We found the number of steel buyers actually buying steel to be limited. Sentiment has become negative and price momentum has shifted to Lower on all products as demand is now […]
On Jan. 7-8, 2020, Steel Market Update will conduct our next Steel 101: Introduction to Steel Making & Market Fundamentals workshop in Ontario, Calif. This workshop will include a tour of the California Steel Industries mill. Why do companies send employees to our Steel 101 workshops? Because they receive a broader understanding of: How steel […]
On Jan. 7-8, 2020, Steel Market Update will conduct our next Steel 101: Introduction to Steel Making & Market Fundamentals workshop in Ontario, Calif. This workshop will include a tour of the California Steel Industries mill. Why do companies send employees to our Steel 101 workshops? Because they receive a broader understanding of: How steel […]
Steel price momentum has shifted Lower for hot rolled steel. With scrap prices down in September, the market may have passed a tipping point. Here is how we see prices this week: Hot Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $550-$600 per ton ($27.50-$30.00/cwt) with an average of $575 per ton ($28.75/cwt) FOB mill, east […]
The U.S. exported 620,598 tons of flat rolled steel in July, according to final Census data, a 4 percent rise from June, but down 5 percent from the same month one year ago. July exports were in line with the 2019 average of 611,019 tons, but down significantly compared to recent years. It was this […]
On Friday, Sept. 6, USS-POSCO Industries advised customers: “USS-POSCO Industries (UPI) has revised the published Galvanized coating extras. The new extras will apply on all new orders effective immediately. The new price book for the extras can be found on the attachment as well as on our website. Please contact your UPI Sales Representative with […]
The following calculation is used by Steel Market Update to identify the theoretical spread between foreign hot rolled steel prices (delivered to U.S. ports) and domestic hot rolled coil prices (FOB domestic mills). We want our readers to be aware that this is only a “theoretical” calculation as freight costs, trader margin and other costs […]