A new study by Martin Associates questioning the relationship between steel tariffs and mill capacity utilization was largely dismissed by the Commerce Department as industry propaganda, prompting a stern response from the American Institute for International Steel. AIIS released the analysis by Dr. John Martin on April 18 and stands behind his findings. The Secretary […]
U.S. raw steel production has leveled off in a range slightly above or below the 1.8 milllion ton level for the past several weeks. Mill capacity utilization remains stubbornly in the mid to upper 70s, despite domestic producers’ desire to top the 80 percent mark. Steel production for the week ending April 14 totaled 1,784,000 […]
U.S. steel mills shipped 7,525,590 net tons in February, a 1.5 percent decrease from the previous month. The total was a 4.1 percent increase from the 7,232,341 net tons shipped in February 2017, however, reports the American Iron and Steel Institute in Washington. Steel shipments year-to-date in 2018 total 15,161,931 net tons, a 1.5 percent […]
U.S. demand for steel sheet products expanded slowly through February, according to Steel Market Update’s analysis of data from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and the U.S. Department of Commerce. Apparent supply is a proxy for market demand. Demand momentum for sheet products in total was negative in the three months through February, […]
February apparent steel supply declined over January to 8,773,912 net tons, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the American Iron and Steel Institute. Apparent steel supply is calculated by adding domestic steel shipments and finished U.S. steel imports, then subtracting total U.S. steel exports. February apparent steel supply saw […]
U.S. raw steel production moved back above the 1.8 milllion ton mark last week. Steel production for the week ending April 7 totaled 1,805,000 net tons, a 4.9 percent increase from the same period last year, and up 1.6 percent from the previous week. The mill capability utilization rate for the April 7 week averaged […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced April 2 that it plans to lower the standards for vehicle tailpipe emissions, making it easier for automakers to achieve federal environmental targets. Based on information from the recently completed midterm evaluation of standards for cars and light trucks in model years 2022-25, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the […]
Total raw steel production for the month of February was 7,266,355 net tons, with 5,087,819 tons produced by electric arc furnaces (EAFs) and 2,178,536 tons produced by blast furnaces. February raw steel production was 329,268 tons or 4.3 percent lower than the previous month, but 185,893 tons or 2.6 percent higher than the same month […]
Despite a small dip last week, U.S. raw steel production remained above 1.8 milllion tons for the month. Steel production for the week ending March 24 totaled 1,803,000 net tons, a 5.1 percent increase from the same period last year but down 1.3 percent from the previous week. The mill capability utilization rate for the […]
U.S. raw steel production dipped below 1.8 milllion tons for the first time in a month. Steel production for the week ending March 31 totaled 1,776,000 net tons, a 3.5 percent increase from the same period last year but down 1.5 percent from the previous week. The mill capability utilization rate for the March 31 […]
Economic indicators of manufacturing activity in the United States remain strong and portend well for the first half of 2018. This report summarizes seven data sources that describe the state of manufacturing in the U.S. We have reported on most of these separately in our Steel Market Update publications, and therefore will be brief […]
Steel production in the United States continued at a high level last week. U.S. raw steel production for the week ending March 17 totaled 1,826,000 net tons, a 6.4 percent increase from the same period last year and up 0.7 percent from the previous week. This is the third week in a row that production […]
U.S. raw steel production for the week ending March 10 totaled 1,813,000 net tons, a 5.7 percent increase from the same period last year. While down 1.1 percent from the prior week, this is the second week this year that production has topped 1.8 milllion tons. Prior to this month, the last time weekly production […]
Apparent steel supply for the month of January 2018 rose month-over-month but fell year-over-year to 9,158,850 net tons, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the American Iron and Steel Institute. Apparent steel supply is calculated by adding domestic steel shipments and finished U.S. steel imports, then subtracting total U.S. […]
Steel inventories are increasing as the inventory-to-shipment ratio is decreasing—a very healthy trend for the supply chain. To efficiently manage inventory, companies generally want to keep the ratio low. A rise in the inventory-to-shipment ratio indicates that shipments are falling or the operation is keeping too much inventory on hand. Each month, the Census Bureau […]
Reaction to the official announcement and signing of the Section 232 proclamation brought swift reaction from the industry and Congress. Opinions ranged from unwavering support, “the era of American trade surrender is coming to an end,” to total dismay, “the sweeping tariffs announced today are like dropping a bomb on a flea.” Supporting the 25 […]
U.S. raw steel production for the week ending March 3 totaled 1,834,000 net tons at a mill capability utilization rate of 78.7 percent, reports the American Iron and Steel Institute in Washington. The last time production was this high was the week ending Jan. 10, 2015, when 1,899,000 tons were produced at a utilization rate […]
Economic indicators of manufacturing activity remain strong and continue pointing to good demand for steel at least through mid-year. This report summarizes seven data sources that describe the state of manufacturing in the United States. We have reported on most of these separately in our Steel Market Update publications, and therefore will be brief […]
Total raw steel production for the month of January was 7,595,623 net tons, with 5,129,878 tons produced by electric arc furnaces (EAFs) and 2,465,745 tons produced by blast furnaces. This is the highest monthly production figure seen since August 2017 when 7,824,820 tons were produced. January raw steel production was 174,474 tons or 2.4 percent […]
The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Board of Directors recently approved its 2018 public policy agenda outlining the institute’s aggressive pro-manufacturing public policy priorities. “The impact public policies have on manufacturers must be carefully considered to ensure both economic growth and our national security,” said Thomas J. Gibson, president and CEO of AISI. “AISI’s […]
U.S. raw steel production for the week ending Feb. 24 totaled 1,783,000 net tons, a 0.7 percent increase from the same period last year, but up 1.8 percent from the prior week. The mill capability utilization rate for the week averaged 76.5 percent, up from 75.1 percent the prior week, reports the American Iron and […]
In 2017, the domestic steel market contracted by 0.5 percent, but domestic shipments were up while imports were down. Table 1 shows 11 years of history of total steel supply to the U.S. market broken down into shipments from domestic mills and imports, excluding semi-finished. The hot rolled steel market totaled 106.4 million tons in […]
Apparent steel supply for the month of December 2017 showed a decline month-over-month and also year-over-year to 8,501,642 net tons, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the American Iron and Steel Institute. Apparent steel supply is calculated by adding domestic steel shipments and finished U.S. steel imports, then subtracting […]
U.S. raw steel production for the week ending Feb. 17 totaled 1,751,000 net tons, a 1.1 percent decrease from the same period last year, but up 0.8 percent from the prior week. The mill capability utilization rate for the week averaged 75.1 percent, up from 74.5 percent the prior week, reports the American Iron and […]
U.S. raw steel production for the week ending Feb. 10 totaled 1,737,000 net tons, a 1.9 percent decrease from the same period last year, and down 0.6 percent from the prior week. The mill capability utilization rate for the week averaged 74.5 percent, down from 75.0 percent the prior week, reports the American Iron and […]
The release of President Trump’s infrastructure plan drew mixed responses from trade groups involved with the steel industry. Although all support the much-needed infrastructure work, several question the president’s plan to fund it. Thomas J. Gibson, president and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute supported the streamlining of permits proposed in the plan. […]
Steel Market Update was contacted this week by an analyst who questioned the accuracy of the American Iron and Steel Institute data published by SMU. He wondered how AISI calculates its weekly mill capacity utilization rates and whether their calculations account for idled furnace capacity. A close look at the AISI data shows the domestic […]
Editor’s note: Richard Chriss, president of the American Institute for International Steel, which represents foreign steelmakers, offered this rebuttal to a recent letter to the editor in the New York Times by Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing: There is no single word for the economic fallacy of assuming that those who […]
U.S. raw steel production for the week ending Feb. 3 totaled 1,747,000 net tons, a 0.2 percent decrease from the same period last year, but up 1.6 percent from the prior week. The mill capability utilization rate for the week averaged 75.0 percent, down from 73.8 percent the prior week, reports the American Iron and […]
U.S. steelmakers sent a letter to President Trump on Feb. 1 urging the administration to take action against steel imports under Section 232. The letter from the American Iron and Steel Institute stressed that immediate action is needed to prevent imports from recapturing nearly a third of the U.S. market as they did last June. […]