Contributor: Kristen DiLandro

Plate market participants expect domestic producers to issue a $40-60 per short ton (st) price increase.

Recent winter storms have impeded barge transportation along multiple Midwestern waterways, according to various transportation services. Likewise, U.S. Steel said it was facing challenging shipping conditions but does not expect customers to be impacted.

Sheet market participants said conditions this week were more stable than in past weeks, but they remain cautiously optimistic overall.   

U.S. Steel plans to restart Battery #13 at its Clairton Coke Works on Feb. 5. Battery #13 was one of the batteries hot idled since a lethal explosion at Clairton on Aug. 11, 2025.

The latest Institute for Supply Management (ISM)’s Manufacturing PMI report found manufacturing activity expanded in January 2026. The preceding 26 consecutive months’ reports showed manufacturing activity in contraction.    

Participants in the hot- and cold-rolled coil markets said winter storms in the East and Midwest may disrupt weekly order volumes and prices.  

This news item was first published by CRU. To learn about CRU’s global commodities research and analysis services, visit www.crugroup.com. Canada’s Algoma Steel signed a binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hanwha Ocean to support Canada’s submarine program and Algoma’s diversification strategy. A new structural steel beam mill may result. Financial support, subject to conditions being […]

Metalforming manufacturers anticipate strong near-term economic conditions that will give way to increasing orders, according to the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) Business Conditions Report for January 2026. 

A report on the sheet market this week.

The plate market’s swell of optimistic sentiment marking the start of 2026 dissipated this week.  

Metallus and the United Steelworkers (USW) have agreed to another tentative four-year contract, the specialty metal producer announced.  

Cleveland-Cliffs' shuttered tin mill in Weirton, W.Va., caught fire on Saturday as a crew worked to recover scrap metal ahead of the plant's demolition, according to a local news reports.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has provided Warrior Met Coal official permits for expanding its Tuscaloosa, Ala.-based mining projects.  

Economic activity across the US increased at a light-to-modest pace, according to the US Federal Reserve’s (The Fed) latest Beige Book report.

Though they’re hopeful, domestic sheet market sources didn’t share a bullish outlook on the market this week.

SMU's steel market chatter this week.

Participants in the domestic steel plate market said they are maintaining strong order books, experiencing longer lead times, and finding mills are less open to negotiating prices.

Steel plate market participants think increasing spot prices and growing order volumes could stick around. That’s two encouraging signs for the year ahead, they said. Oregon Steel Mills, SSAB, and Nucor all increased base prices for plate products by $40 per short ton (st) in the final weeks of December. SMU data also indicates that mills […]

The number of oil and gas rigs operating in the US fell this week, while Canadian activity surged, according to the latest data released from Baker Hughes. 

Sources in the domestic hot-rolled sheet market say they are standing by for an uptick in customer demand. These service center market participants, located in various regions of the US, expect to handle an influx of customer orders this month. 

The state of Louisiana has purchased 1,700 acres along the Mississippi River from Germania Plantation Inc. for $91 million for Hyundai Steel's proposed EAF operation.

Kloeckner Metals Corp. announced that beginning Jan. 1, 2026, the former Bauer Built Manufacturing site in Paton, Iowa, would lead all its commercial, manufacturing, and other operational activities. 

The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) latest report finds that December 2025’s market conditions in the manufacturing sector continued to soften.

Majestic Steel USA announced that Chad Broyles will now be the Executive Vice President for its business operations unit. The Cleveland-headquartered flat-rolled steel distributor and processor expects Broyles to help Majestic align its commercial and operational priorities. As EVP, Broyles will oversee service center operations, according to the company’s Jan. 5 statement. Todd Leebow, president and CEO of Majestic Steel USA, noted that since joining Majestic in 2025 Broyles’ has been a valuable contributor to its […]

Demand for heavy steel plate used in offshore wind farms faces renewed uncertainty after President Trump paused leases for five offshore wind projects. 

Members of the United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1123 labor union voted against ratifying a second proposed deal with Metallus on Dec. 18.

Nucor Plate Group notified customers it was aiming to increase all plate product prices by $40 per short ton (st). 

Nucor raised its weekly hot-rolled coil spot list price by $10 per short ton (st) this week, marking the company's ninth consecutive increase.

An SMU Community Chat with Timna Tanners.

Most buyers expect prices to rise slightly in the short term or remain flat. But many qualify this view as transitory or dependent on demand improvements.