Price increases have dominated the headlines thus far in 2023. Since Jan. 1, we’ve had one blitz of tag hikes after another. In the eleven weeks since the start of the year, there’s only been a single week in which not a single mill announced a price increase. It sometimes felt like one mill had […]
More than three-quarters of US metro areas added construction jobs year-over-year (YoY) through January, according to Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) figures. Despite the employment boost, construction firms struggled to find enough qualified workers to hire, the report said. The report cautioned that projects may stall or be canceled altogether if contractors lack an […]
Imports of cold-rolled coil (CRC) extended their pricing advantage over domestic product as US mills continued to drive prices higher, according to Steel Market Update’s latest foreign vs. domestic price analysis of the CRC market. US mills have announced multiple rounds of price increases since the beginning of the year, widening the gap between US […]
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 […]
Imports of hot-rolled coil (HRC) are becoming more attractive as US mills continue to drive domestic prices higher. The price advantage domestic HRC had enjoyed over offshore hot band as recently as five weeks ago swung negative, mirroring dynamics seen more than a year ago, according to Steel Market Update’s latest foreign vs. domestic price […]
We are less than a month away from our LIVE Steel 101: An Introduction to Steelmaking and Market Fundamentals training course, to be hosted in Cleveland on April 11-12. The workshop will include a guided tour of the Cleveland-Cliffs mill, in the heart of downtown Cleveland. Attendees will be able to see firsthand all stages of production at […]
Total US mill shipments of steel products increased in January, recovering from a 23-month low the month prior. January’s shipments were the highest since last August and totaled 7.63 million tons, a 6.5% increase from December’s 7.17 million tons. Apparent supply also saw a month-on-month (MoM) increase in January, up 7.9% vs. the prior month. This analysis […]
Flat-rolled steel prices continue to rise in response to repeated mill pricing announcements, a trend we’ve seen nearly weekly since Monday, Nov. 28, 2022. Hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices have surged by $490 per ton – a 78% jump – since Cleveland-Cliffs and US Steel kicked off the craze with $60-per-ton price hikes. On Monday, Cliffs […]
Raw steel production by US mills rose 0.8% last week from the week prior, according to data released by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) on Monday, March 13. Domestic production stood at 1,677,000 net tons in the week ended March 11 vs. 1,664,000 net tons the previous week. It was off 1.9% from 1,710,000 net tons in […]
The United Autoworkers (UAW) union announced on Sunday, March 2, they have agreed to a new labor pact with Caterpillar Inc. after UAW members ratified the terms of a new, six-year collective agreement. A tentative pact was settled ahead of the expiration of a prior contract on March 1, according to both parties. The UAW […]
SSAB Americas has announced plans to increase plate prices by at least $80 per ton ($4 per cwt), the third of its kind in as many months. The notice follows in short order from Nucor’s $50-per-ton increase announced today. The price hike applies equally to rolled, normalized, quenched-and-tempered, and wide cut-to-length plate products. It is […]
Nucor Corp. aims to increase base prices for steel plate by at least $50 per ton ($2.50 per cwt) with the opening of its May order book. The plate increase is the first of its kind for the steelmaker since March 31, 2021, according to SMU’s steel mill price increase calendar. Nucor had repeatedly maintained […]
US plate prices have steadily increased over the past two weeks, largely in response to repeated mill price hikes. The most recent increase came from Cleveland-Cliffs when the steelmaker aimed to increase base prices for steel plate by at least $60 per ton ($3 per cwt). It was Cliffs’ first official plate price notice in […]
The price advantage domestic cold-rolled coil (CRC) had recently enjoyed over imported steel was short-lived, as US mills continue to drive prices higher, according to Steel Market Update’s latest foreign vs. domestic price analysis of the CRC market. Repeated mill price hikes through February and into March has seen the US CRC price advantage over foreign […]
February license data indicate that steel imports will have totaled 2.19 million net tons last month, down 16.2% from January. February levels are also down 13.8% when compared to the previous 12-month average. Recall that monthly import levels declined nearly 17% month on month (MoM) in November, before rebounding in December and January. February figures […]
The price advantage domestic hot-rolled coil (HRC) had enjoyed over offshore hot band has evaporated as US mills drive prices higher, according to Steel Market Update’s latest foreign vs. domestic price analysis. Nucor and ArcelorMittal last week announced a target price $1,150 per ton ($57.50 per cwt) for HRC. Market contacts have told SMU that some […]
Editor’s note: Steel Market Update is pleased to share this Premium content with Executive members. For information on how to upgrade to a Premium-level subscription, contact Lindsey Fox at lindsey@steelmarketupdate.com. Monthly Key Market Indicators (KMI) improved over the past month, advancing repeatedly since hitting a recent low last November, according to the latest analysis by […]
Aggressive mill price increases are pushing flat-rolled tags up at a sharp clip, rivaling the spike seen in response to the war in Ukraine last March. On Friday, Nucor came out with yet another notice – up an extra $150 per ton ($7.50 per cwt) and setting a new base price for hot band of […]
The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI) rose 1.9%% in February to 203 from the revised January reading of 199.3, according to data and analytics from the Dodge Construction Network (DCN). Additionally, the commercial component of the DMI also advanced 1.4% and the institutional component increased 2.9%, respectively, last month. The Dodge Momentum Index returned to growth […]
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 […]
SMU’s Steel Demand Index indicates that the pace of growth has slowed down when it comes to apparent demand for flat-rolled steel in the US. The index is still above 50, which indicates improving demand. But it is down 6.4 points, following a similar weakening seen in the prior reading in mid-February. The back-to-back declines […]
Domestic hot-rolled coil (HRC) continues to lose its price advantage over imported steel. The reason: US prices continued to move higher following a wave of domestic mill price hikes that began after Thanksgiving and reached a fever pitch in February with near weekly price increases. US HRC had held a price advantage over foreign hot […]
Last week’s mill price increases continue to make their way into the market. Cliffs’ latest this week – up another $100 per ton ($5 per cwt) and setting a new base price for hot band of $1,100 per ton – has yet to be reflected in today’s pricing. But that hasn’t stopped it from garnering […]
Raw steel production by US mills recovered last week after declining slightly the week prior, according to data released by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) on Monday, Feb. 27. The increase pushed capacity utilization up to 74.9%, driven by gains in tons in all regions except for the Northeast. This is up from […]
Cleveland-Cliffs aims to push its hot-rolled coil price up by at least another $100 per ton ($5 per cwt) in its fourth sheet price hike this month. Cliffs made the announcement in a press release on Monday, Feb. 27, just six days after announcing another $100-per-ton increase. Cliffs said its new target base price for hot […]
US plate prices have remained mostly flat this week, a trend we’ve seen since Nucor announced a plate price cut in late November. Recall that in late November, Nucor said it would be lowering plate prices by $140 per ton ($7 per cwt) with the opening of its January order book. Plate tags have varied […]
New, single‐family home sales rebounded slightly in January in response to declining mortgage rates and home prices in December, according to a joint report from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the US Census Bureau. The result was helped by home builders’ use of sales incentives, which boosted new home sales, the […]
Steel Market Update is pleased to share this Premium content with Executive members. For information on upgrading to a Premium-level subscription, email info@steelmarketupdate.com. World crude steel production rebounded month on month (MoM) in January, driven by widespread increases worldwide. Global production was down, though, more than 6% vs. the same period last year, according to World […]
SSAB Americas has announced plans to increase plate prices by at least $60 per ton ($3 per cwt). 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 letter to customers on Friday, Feb. 24. SSAB said […]
Existing home sales declined for the 12th month in a row in January, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). All four major regions in the US registered year-over-year (YoY) drops, though sales were mixed month over month (MoM) among the four regions. The South and West regions registered increases MoM, while the East and Midwest […]