Contributor: Kristen DiLandro

Participants in the domestic steel plate market said the plate market never accepted mill-issued spot price increases. 

Cliffs said it successfully completed a defect-free trial production of exposed steel parts using aluminum-forming equipment in collaboration with an unnamed OEM,

President and CEO Eddie Lehner said Ryerson has faced market headwinds in the third quarter.

Participants on this month’s Heating Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) Sheet Metal/Air Handling Council call expect galvanized steel base prices to firm up in the first quarter of 2026.  

Domestic sheet market participants say recent spot price hikes from NLMK USA and Nucor will do little to shake-up stagnant market conditions.   Price increases in the current market On Friday Oct. 24, NLMK customers learned that the producer’s hot- and cold-rolled prices increased $50 per short ton (st) and its coated products were $100/st higher. […]

US automakers could face production shutdowns in November because of potential supply disruptions at Dutch chipmaker Nexperia. Even a temporary shutdown, as carmakers scramble to procure chips, threatens to drive steel demand lower. Alliance for Automotive Innovation CEO John Bozzella underscored the severity of the situation. “If the shipment of automotive chips doesn’t resume — […]

Demand for plate on the spot market remains soft by comparison to years past. However, this week regional demand variations grew more pronounced.  

U.S. Steel plans to restart battery #14 at the Clairton Coke Works plant on Thursday, ending its idling period.   Battery #14 was hot idled following the explosion at coke oven batteries 13 and 14 on Aug. 11. The Mon Valley Works Clairton plant has completed the necessary repairs. It expects the battery to restart during […]

U.S. Steel (USS) said it’s been strengthening its safety protocols as findings from investigations into the causes of a deadly explosion at USS Clairton Coke Works on Aug. 11 materialize.  The Pittsburgh, Pa.-headquartered steel producer stated that an independent investigation conducted by the Environmental Design & Testing Corp (EDT) produced findings aligned with the company’s […]

Commercial Metals Co. (CMC) will acquire Newman, Ga.-based Foley Products Co. for $1.48 billion, making it the number three US precast concrete producer.

Medium- and heavy-duty trucks (MHDV) and buses imported to the US will start being charged Section 232 tariffs beginning Nov. 1.  

Genuine demand, they stated, will return when the market feels stable again.

Economic growth in some US regions in September was offset by challenges in others, causing the market to appear largely unchanged overall, according to the Federal Reserve’s latest Beige Book report. 

Participants in the domestic plate market say spot prices appear to have hit the floor, and they continue to linger there. They say demand for steel remains thin, with plate products no exception.

The World Steel Association (worldsteel) Short Range Outlook for global steel demand predicts that 2025’s steel demand will clock in at the same level as in 2024. In its October report, the Brussels-based association stated that this year’s steel demand will reach ~1,750 million metric tons (mt). The organization forecasts a 1.3% demand rebound in 2026, pushing […]

Canada's Nova Steel has fully acquired all of the assets of Ohio's Sheffield Steel Products.

Some sources also speculated that plate could see further price increases thanks to modest but steady demand, lower imports, mill maintenance outages, and end markets less immediately affected by tariff-related disruptions.

Tariffs are ultimately to blame for stagnant demand in the hot-rolled coil market, domestic market sources tell SMU.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that they’ll be formulating a trade deal that works for both nations.  

Metallus and the United Steelworkers (USW) have agreed to a tentative four-year labor contract.

Warrior Met Coal has paid the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) $46.8 million in a lease sale of federal land it will use to expand its operations in Tuscaloosa County, Ala.  

Let’s take a quick tour of some key stories from SMU in the week of Sept. 29 - Oct. 3.

Participants in the hot-rolled sheet market expressed frustration with the continuing lack of demand this week. 

Trade groups cautioned that a prolonged shutdown could strain US industry.   

Following spot market plate price increase notices issued by domestic mills this past week, participants are contemplating the rationale behind the increases and whether they will stick. Some sources anticipate that current market conditions will shift in November and believe the increases may set a new "pricing floor."

The seven facilities Russel agreed to purchase are located in Iowa, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, and Florida.

Metallus and the United Steelworkers (USW) union extended their contract to Oct. 15 as talks continue on a new labor deal.  

Metalforming manufacturers anticipate a decrease in near-term conditions, according to the Precision Metalforming Association's (PMA) Business Conditions Report for September.

SSAB Americas sent a price increase notification to customers announcing that transaction prices on all its products are increasing by a minimum of $60 per short ton (st). 

Domestic plate market participants are optimistic about the market despite the ongoing uncertainty that’s characterized most of 2025, sources said.