Contributor: Ethan Bernard

Cleveland-Cliffs has appointed Ralph “Mike” Michael III, former chairman of AK Steel, as lead independent director of its board, effective immediately.

A look at some of the results of our most recent survey with market participant comments.

The spread between domestic hot-rolled coil and prime scrap prices widened slightly in February. It has been trending in that direction since October.

US ferrous scrap prices continued to rise in February, scrap sources told SMU.

Reliance Inc. reported record tons sold in 2025 as the company’s earnings improved in the quarter.

Australia-based steelmaker BlueScope reported higher profits in its North American operations in the first half of its fiscal-year 2026 as it remained open to bids for the overall company.

Tales from the sidelines of Tampa Steel Conference 2026.

Gone conferencin'. Yes, it's about that time when some of our staff are already en route to Florida, as the Tampa Steel Conference kicks off on Wednesday.

President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) on Feb. 6 allowing the administration to impose tariffs on countries that do business with Iran.

US-flagged iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes fell last year vs. 2024.

SMU’s Current Sentiment Index for scrap jumped again in February, according to the latest data from our ferrous scrap survey. And the Future Sentiment Index remained the same for the third consecutive month.

SMU's ferrous scrap survey celebrates its one-year anniversary this month.

Market participant comments from this month's SMU ferrous scrap survey.

Domestic steel shipments rose month-on-month and on-year in December, according to the latest figures from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). At the same time, full-year 2025 shipments increased.

The USW's contracts with Cliffs and USS expire on Sept. 1 of this year.

General Motors Canada has laid off ~500 workers at its Oshawa Assembly facility in Ontario, as the plant moves to two shifts of production as of Monday, Feb. 2.

The Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA) has elected Steel Dynamics Inc.’s Barry Schneider as chair of its 2026-28 Executive Committee.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed reversing the Biden-era “Good Neighbor Plan,” which mandated federal limits on certain industrial emissions.

SMU interviews Worthington Steel CEO Geoff Gilmore about the recent Kloeckner & Co. buy.

Nucor Chair and CEO Leon Topalian is bullish on the outlook for 2026. And noted that the Charlotte, NC-based steelmaker remains in the hunt for M&A opportunities.

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

Nucor reported higher profits in the fourth quarter on-year, and expects sequential improvements across all segments in the current quarter.

A crossword featuring clues about SMU's Tampa Steel Conference 2026.

The final charge of Algoma Steel’s #7 blast furnace occurred on Saturday, as the company transitions to fully electric-arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking.

Worthington Steel has announced it will acquire Germany's Kloeckner & Co, creating second-largest steel service company in North America.

We are officially under 30 days away from SMU's Tampa Steel Conference. And things are really starting to heat up. Well, at least the temperatures in Florida are staying balmy while much of the rest of the country maintains a chill.

There was a fire at an electrical substation “near and owned by Steel Dynamics (Inc.’s) Southwest-Sinton Flat Roll Division,” according to a media report on Wednesday.

Heidtman Steel Products Inc. and Steel and Pipe Supply Co. have announced a joint venture called Granite City Processing LLC in Granite City, Ill., that commenced on Jan. 1.

The price spread between domestic hot-rolled coil and prime scrap widened for a fourth consecutive month in January, based on SMU’s most recent pricing data.

Ferrous scrap prices jumped on all the products SMU tracks in January, scrap sources said.