After 12 months of planning, countless hours of discussions about our agenda, whether we would be virtual, live or both, and agonizing over how to best conduct a safe live event not knowing what direction the pandemic would be taking – the bottom line is it’s showtime. The weather forecast is for no rain on […]
Toyota Motor Corp. is anticipating a reduction in automotive production in the range of 40-60% in North America. Except for Toyota’s San Antonio, Texas, plant, all North American vehicle assembly plants will be affected, a company spokesperson confirmed to Steel Market Update. “Due to COVID-19 and unexpected events with our supply chain, Toyota is experiencing […]
Lead times have shortened noticeably based on Steel Market Update’s check of the market this week. But don’t read too much into that one data point. Other factors point to more of the same for steel prices, at least for a while. As reported elsewhere in this issue, lead times appear to have shortened by a […]
Steel Market Update’s check of the market this week shows HRC setting a new record at $1,955 per ton, just a stone’s throw from a $2,000 mark that was once unimaginable but now seems inevitable. As one observer opined: “I don’t expect to see any actual easing until we get to $2,000 a ton.” Very […]
BlueScope Steel Ltd. posted record earnings in its 2021 fiscal year thanks to strong demand and record metal spreads. All told, the Australian steelmaker – the parent company of Delta, Ohio-based North Star BlueScope – recorded net profit of Australian $1.19 billion ($870 million U.S.) in its fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, up more […]
On Friday, Steel Market Update sent data providers the final analysis for July of service center inventories, shipments, steel on-order, and percentage of inventories tied up for contract sales. Premium members will receive the report on Monday. As expected, after reviewing our Flash Report which is provided to data providers five days into the new […]
One Week to Go… There is now but one week to go before the doors open at the Georgia International Convention Center (GICC) in Atlanta for the 2021 SMU Steel Summit Conference on August 23. This year the conference will be unique as it will be a “hybrid” event. By this I mean we will […]
Memorize these words, “carbon border adjustment tax,” as they are being mentioned in the Senate Budget Committee, which is working on the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package the Senate advanced on Wednesday. The idea proposed would “account for the cost incurred by U.S. businesses to comply with laws and regulations limiting greenhouse gas emissions,” based on […]
Nissan Motor Co. will halt all production lines at its Smyrna, Tenn., factory for two weeks starting Monday due to semiconductor shortages brought on by a COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia, a company spokesperson told Steel Market Update. The global chip shortage is having a signficant impact on the consumption of steel by the automotive industry. […]
Do you have a sense that conditions in the steel market are changing? If so, you are not alone. The majority of steel buyers polled by SMU over the last two weeks feel it won’t be until the fourth quarter, if not well into next year, before there will be any significant changes in steel […]
By CRU Senior Analyst Helen O’Cleary, from CRU’s Steel Sheet Products Monitor The automotive industry accounts for approximately 10% of end-use sector zinc demand, in the form of galvanized steel sheet, die castings and oxide. Even before the pandemic, vehicle output and sales in some of the major producing countries were being constrained by new […]
By CRU Principal Analyst Josh Spoores, from CRU’s Steel Sheet Products Monitor Sheet prices in the U.S. Midwest market have continued to rise, though the rate of increase has slowed since the end of May. The price of HR coil has increased $21 /s.ton w/w and is now $126 /s.ton higher than our assessment on […]
Three companies with more than a century of experience in the U.S. steel and auto industries are teaming in a joint venture called Madison Metal Processing that will operate a new, $40 million factory near Huntsville, Ala. The companies collaborating in the venture are Toyota Tsusho America Inc., Southern Mobility Products and SteelSummit Holdings, a subsidiary of Sumitomo Corp. […]
Olympic Steel announced record financial results for the quarter ended Sept. 30. “Our third-quarter performance was the strongest quarter in company history. And in fact, it was better than all but three full years in Olympic Steel’s history. Net sales totaled $668 million. Net income was $44.5 million and adjusted EBITDA was $70.5 million, all […]
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. has reached agreement on a new three-year labor agreement with United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 600, which represents 1,000 workers at the steelmaker’s Dearborn Works near Detroit. The new contract is retroactively effective from Aug. 1, 2021, through July 31, 2024. “We are extremely pleased to continue our commitment to good-paying middle-class union […]
Ternium thinks that North American steel prices might move lower later this year but that they will bottom at a new, higher level than in previous cycles, the company’s top executive said. “Prices are probably going to begin a downtrend at some point during the second half. But I don’t expect this to be a […]
U.S. Steel plans to focus on organic growth – expanding its existing operations – rather than on mergers and acquisitions, company executives said. “Don’t be looking for us to add a bunch of capacity, look for us to build capability for profitable growth,” President and Chief Executive Officer David Burritt said during a conference call with analysts. […]
ArcelorMittal Dofasco plans to spend Canadian $1.77 billion ($1.41 billion U.S.) to install a new direct-reduced iron (DRI) plant and electric arc furnace (EAF) at its steel mill in Hamilton, Ontario. The subsidiary of multinational steelmaker ArcelorMittal SA said the project hinges on support from the Canadian government, which has agreed to contribute C$400 million […]
ArcelorMittal Dofasco plans to spend Canadian $1.77 billion ($1.41 billion U.S.) to install a new direct-reduced iron (DRI) plant and electric arc furnace (EAF) at its steel mill in Hamilton, Ontario. The subsidiary of multinational steelmaker ArcelorMittal SA said the project hinges on support from the Canadian government, which has agreed to contribute C$400 million […]
Some experts believe short supplies and record-high steel prices are nearing a tipping point with new steelmaking capacity soon to come online and loads of imports on the water headed this way. But that’s not the prevailing sentiment among the service center and manufacturing executives who responded to SMU’s questionnaire this week. While it may […]
Toyota Motor North America in now a member of the Auto/Steel Partnership (A/SP), joining automakers Stellantis and General Motors in a consortium that includes the American Iron and Steel Institute’s (AISI) Automotive Applications Council. “We are excited to welcome Toyota to our team of automakers, steel companies and tier supplier representatives who are dedicated to […]
“Electric vehicles are having a moment,” said auto market expert Bernard Swiecki – a moment likely to last for years. Swiecki’s Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich., is spending much of its time studying the sudden and surging interest in the various forms of low- or zero-emission electric vehicles (EVs), from plug-in hybrids, […]
What’s this world coming to when an integrated steelmaker – a leader in an industry notorious for taking a huge toll on the environment – spends much of his earnings call talking about cutting carbon emissions? Said Lourenco Goncalves, Cleveland-Cliffs’ chief executive, last week: “Cliffs sees decarbonization as part of our license to continue to […]
Don’t forget to tune into the tomorrow’s Steel Market Update Community Chat webinar with Bernard Swiecki of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR). The webinar starts Wednesday, July 28, at 11 a.m. ET (10 a.m. CT). Swiecki serves as director of research at CAR as well as director of the Automotive Communities Partnership (ACP). He will speak […]
2021 SMU Steel Summit Conference – Revised Agenda as of July 27, 2021 The 2021 SMU Steel Summit Conference will be held at the Georgia International Convention Center on Aug. 23-25. The convention center is conveniently located next to the Atlanta International Airport (ATL). The center and the hotels surrounding the convention center are on […]
General Motors has extended chip-related outages to assembly plants that make its highly sought-after pickup trucks. The Detroit-based automaker, the largest in the U.S., had previously tried to shield truck plants from the impacts of the semiconductor shortage. Here is the latest: • General Motor’s assembly plant in Flint, Mich., will operate on one production […]
Last week our average price on hot rolled coil (HRC) was $1,850 per ton ($92.50/cwt). We are not far away from $2,000 per ton ($100.00/cwt). The idea of HRC at $100.00/cwt is so far out of my historical perspective. I go back to the late 1970s when HRC sold under $10.00/cwt…. Jeez. I saw an […]
Last week our average price on hot rolled coil (HRC) was $1,850 per ton ($92.50/cwt). We are not far away from $2,000 per ton ($100.00/cwt). The idea of HRC at $100.00/cwt is so far out of my historical perspective. I go back to the late 1970s when HRC sold under $10.00/cwt…. Jeez. I saw an […]
Steel Market Update is pleased to announce that Bernard Swiecki of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) will be the featured speaker for our next SMU Community Chat Webinar on Wednesday, July 28, at 11 a.m. ET. Swiecki serves as director of research at CAR as well as director of the Automotive Communities Partnership (ACP). He […]
Steel Market Update is pleased to announce that Bernard Swiecki of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) will be the featured speaker for our next SMU Community Chat Webinar on Wednesday, July 28, at 11 a.m. ET. Swiecki serves as director of research at CAR as well as director of the Automotive Communities Partnership (ACP). He […]