Contributor: Laura Miller

The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) tumbled in January, as business softened further at architectural firms across the US.

Ternium SA closed 2025 under pressure from lower steel prices and softer shipments. But the Latin American steelmaker expects both volumes and margins to improve early in 2026 as Mexico’s trade defenses tighten and US tariff uncertainty begins to settle.

As referenced in Michael Cowden's last Final Thoughts, Mexico has opened a formal investigation into cold-rolled steel imports from the US, China, and Malaysia. Here are the details.

SunCoke Energy is heading into 2026 with a smaller coke footprint, firmer margins, and a fully sold-out book. Contract shifts, market softness, and an alleged breach by a major customer are reshaping the company’s supply position.

Steel Dynamics Inc. and SGH Ltd have upped their bid to acquire BlueScope Steel.

Barry Zekelman used his Tampa Steel Conference fireside chat to deliver one of the bluntest assessments yet of the forces shaping North American steel. He warned that a flawed tariff structure and an impending power crunch threaten the industry more than most realize.

Ryerson Holding Corp. and Olympic Steel Inc. announced they have completed their blockbuster merger, boosting Ryerson’s position as the second-largest service center in North America.

The latest Baker Hughes rig count report shows steady drilling for oil and gas in the US, while drilling in Canada slowed slightly.

Hot-rolled coil hovering near $970 per ton could push toward $1,000, but Timna Tanners cautioned at the Tampa Steel Conference that anything “much above that” becomes difficult to sustain. Still, she argued that mills’ slow, disciplined price increases are working in their favor.

Olympic Steel has named Matthew Grussing as vice president – fabrication.

Ternium SA has completed its buyout of Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi’s shares in Brazilian flat-rolled steelmaker Usinas Siderúrgicas de Minas Gerais SA – Usiminas (Usiminas).

Friedman Industries delivered a strong fiscal third quarter, posting sharp gains in sales, shipments, and margins across both its flat-rolled and tubular segments.

MagIron LLC is moving to advance its DR-grade pellet and pig iron strategy. The Minnesota-based company closed on its acquisition of AHMSA's Reynolds Pellet Plant in Indiana on Dec. 31.

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. continued to bleed red in the final quarter of 2025. But the steelmaker expects profitability to improve in 2026 with a troublesome slab contract behind it and more protections from imports in place.

Baker Hughes' latest rig count report shows oil and gas drilling picked up in the US this week, but slowed in Canada. Oil drilling in both countries is down from last year, while gas drilling has picked up, mainly in the US.

GrafTech International closed 2025 with firmer sales volumes and significant cost reductions. But the graphite electrode producer remained deep in the red as global oversupply and aggressive competitor pricing continued to pressure realized prices.

ArcelorMittal’s North American operations posted lower sequential results in the fourth quarter. But with operations returning to normal in Mexico, the company expects to see a volume recovery in the first quarter.

The new president of SSAB Americas, Tom Cox, has joined the board of the American Iron and Steel Institute.

The US Department of Commerce has found that certain steel pipe rolled in Oman using Chinese hot-rolled coil is illegally circumventing anti-dumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVDs).

O’Neal Industries (ONI) has announced changes to its top leadership. The Birmingham, Ala.-based family-owned metals service center group said the following appointments are effective immediately.

BlueScope’s new chief executive used her first public address to signal a faster, more aggressive phase for the steel company. She underscored the strength of its US operations and the rejection of a recent takeover proposal she said “materially undervalued” the business.

SSAB Americas delivered higher shipments and a stronger operating result in the fourth quarter of 2025. The company saw firm demand in key US end markets and a solid finish to the year despite a planned maintenance outage.

US steel imports have fallen sharply under the new 50% Section 232 tariff regime. Jerry Richardson, general director of CSN LLC, discussed on an SMU Community Chat this week how the market is now structurally tighter and more volatile than at any point in the past decade.

Altos Hornos de México (AHMSA) announced a proposed schedule and minimum sale price for the auction of the bankrupt steelmaker and its Minera del Norte (MINOSA) operations.

SunCoke Energy Inc. announced a plan to transition the Lilsle, Ill., company's top financial officer.

ArcelorMittal Mexico announced it has restarted the blast furnace at its Lazaro Cardenas steel mill in the state of Michoacan on Mexico's Pacific coast.

Zekelman Industries is transitioning in a new chief financial officer upon the upcoming retirement of current CFO Mike Graham.

The Commerce Department has released preliminary countervailable subsidy rates in the ongoing rebar trade case.

Members of the Congressional Steel Caucus met in Washington on Wednesday to assess the state of the domestic steel industry. Lawmakers and industry leaders discussed the importance of Section 232 tariffs, strong trade enforcement, and continued investment in American steelmaking.

Following a $2.1 milli-n outlay to restart operations, Tenaris is reactivating the heat treatment and finishing operations at its EAF mill in Koppel, Pa.