The composite producer price index of all commodities has been relatively stable in 2019, but tinware products are becoming very uncompetitive against aluminum. This report is an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data performed by staff of Steel Market Update and is intended to provide subscribers with a view of the competitive position of […]
Nucor expects a weaker performance from its steel mills segment in the third quarter due to lower prices for sheet and plate steel. “Although we still see stability in most of the end-use markets that we serve, there has been some softening in automotive, agricultural products and power transmission markets,” said the company in guidance […]
Builder confidence hit a one-year high in September, according to the latest NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index. The HMI, which measures builder perceptions of current and future sales of new single-family homes, rose one point to 68. The HMI index gauging current sales conditions increased two points to 75 and the component measuring traffic of […]
By CRU Principal Analyst Chris Asgill The pervasiveness of steel market weakness came to the fore this month, particularly for steel long products, leading to a sharp drop in scrap prices in almost every market we assess. Consequently, the CRU metallics price indicator (CRUmpi) dropped by 8.3 percent m/m to 209.4 (see chart), the lowest level since November […]
“If you want to be successful in this business you need to understand the market you serve,” said Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves at the Credit Suisse Basic Materials Conference on Tuesday. Goncalves appears to know what he is doing, having transformed Cleveland-Cliffs from a failing enterprise into a solid business with a unique market position. […]
The rate of job creation in August slowed to 130,000 and was helped by the addition of 25,000 temporary Census workers, according to Steel Market Update’s analysis of the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Net job creation in August declined to 130,000 from a downwardly revised 159,000 in July. June was revised […]
Job creation in August was disappointing even after being boosted by the addition of thousands of temporary Census workers. In August, 3,000 jobs were created in manufacturing industries and 14,000 in construction activities. A reported 96,000 jobs were created in the private sector and government gained 34,000 positions. The federal government employment result was swelled […]
By CRU Senior Analyst Erik Hedborg Part two of our three-part series: What’s next for U.S. iron ore production? After a remarkably profitable 2018, the U.S. steel industry has suffered a setback in 2019 as steel prices have dropped sharply on weaker than expected demand. Steel margins have turned negative and production cuts have been […]
Planning activity for nonresidential construction declined in August, according to the latest report issued by Dodge Data & Analytics. The Dodge Momentum Index slid 1.3 percent to 127.8 last month primarily due to a 16.6 percent decline in the institutional component that offset a 9.1 percent gain in the commercial component. The index is a […]
By CRU Senior Analyst Erik Hedborg Part one of our three-part series: What’s next for U.S. iron ore production? The U.S. is blessed with a wealth of natural resources, including oil, gas, gold, copper, timber and coal. In addition, the country has large iron ore deposits that have supported its steel industry for more than […]
By CRU North America Analyst Ryan McKinley U.S. long product price declines were limited for most products in September after finding support from the scrap market, but downward pressure continues to mount. Even with scrap prices rising by $20 /l.ton in August, persistent price falls throughout the year have yet to spur buyers’ interest amid high […]
Employment gains fell short of expectations in August with only 130,000 new nonfarm jobs reported by the U.S. Census Bureau. Construction employment accounted for 14,000 jobs last month and 177,000 in the past 12 months, according to the latest analysis of government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Ken Simonson, the association’s chief […]
Despite slight upward momentum in steel pricing in August, steel buyers’ sentiment languished in the +40s on SMU’s index. This tepid optimism likely reflects widespread concerns in the market about steel demand in the second half and the staying power of steel prices following the recent increases announced by the mills. The average price for […]
On Wednesday, September 4, 2019 the U.S. Department of Commerce issued a Preliminary Antidumping Duty Determinations on fabricated structural steel from Canada, China and Mexico. In the determination Canada was found to be essentially harmless while China and Mexico were found to be dumping fabricated steels into the U.S. markets. SMU normally does not cover […]
Construction spending was essentially flat in July, inching up less than 0.1 percent from June, according to an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Spending slid 2.7 percent from a year ago to a total seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.289 trillion. Year-to-date, spending declined by 2.1 percent […]
This report is designed to be a big picture summary of data we have reported in detail during the month. It summarizes 36 data streams that describe the state of the steel market and provide forward guidance for steel buyers and sellers. See the end of this piece for an explanation of the Key Indicators […]
World steel production is down this year. Between May and July, global steel production declined by 4.1 percent. For the year, steel output is down by 0.9 percent, excluding China which continues to overproduce. Capacity is calculated to be 2.4 billion metric tons and capacity utilization in July was 79.0 percent, according to the latest […]
Construction Put in Place (CPIP) data released Sept. 3 by the Commerce Department shows the first decline in total construction in nearly eight years. Through July, total construction has had negative momentum every month since October last year, and in June and July total construction declined for the first time since November 2011, according to Steel […]
By CRU Principal Economist Lisa Morrison The last month has been interesting from a forecast standpoint given the reversal in the Fed’s monetary policy stance at the end of July, new developments in the U.S.-China trade war and a shift in currency policy in China. Through all this policy change, we continue to see a […]
By CRU Senior Analyst Erik Hedborg Iron ore prices have bounced back in the past week with a rally on Monday pushing prices back above $90 /t. Renewed market confidence resulted in futures on the Dalian commodity exchange hitting limit up in Monday trading. Steel prices in China have been stable throughout the week, which […]
By CRU Senior Analyst Manjot Singh China has been at the center of coal price upcycles that have taken place this millennium. The commodity supercycle that characterized the early-2000s was fueled by demand growth, especially in emerging markets like China. That bull market reached a peak in 2011 when slowing demand growth was met with […]
Eighty percent of contractors report difficulty filling hourly craft positions, according to a new survey by the Associated General Contractors of America. Only 4 percent expect hiring conditions to be easier in the next 12 months. “Workforce shortages remain one of the single most significant threats to the construction industry,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, AGC’s […]
Demand for long products continues to be very strong, driven by the construction industry. Demand for sheet products is declining due to the weakness in manufacturing. This analysis by Steel Market Update is based on steel mill shipment data from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and import-export data from the U.S. Department of […]
Steel demand from the agricultural sector is down substantially, according to a panel of steel distributor and processing CEOs at the 2019 SMU Steel Summit. North American farming profits were hit hard in 2019 by weather, high steel prices and retaliatory Section 232 and 301 tariffs, impacting the ability of farmers to invest in equipment. […]
The trucking and railroad industry shared a stage on Monday at the SMU Steel Summit. James Burg, president of James Burg Trucking Company, and Jim Schaaf, group vice president of metals and construction at Norfolk Southern, talked about the challenges facing their industries. Trucking Tribulations The trucking industry employs approximately 7.3 million people, 3.9 million […]
JSW USA is delaying construction of an electric arc furnace at its Baytown facility due to current market conditions. “While JSW USA is fully under way in modernizing the Plate Mill at Baytown, Texas, given the current market conditions and the prevailing policy environment, the company has for now decided to put on hold the […]
The steel industry enjoyed a profitable first half of 2018 due to a strong economy and tariffs on imports that drove up domestic prices. The welcome windfall prompted several companies to commit large investments toward expansion and modernization of their facilities. In all, about 31 million net tons of new steel capacity could potentially come […]
U.S. Steel announced that it will idle its East Chicago Tin facility due to low capacity utilization and consolidate production from three to two facilities. The company hopes to transfer about half of the 297 employees at East Chicago to Gary Works and the Midwest plant. The statement below was sent to employees on Friday. […]
By CRU Principal Analyst Josh Spoores and CRU North America Analyst Ryan McKinley North America, primarily the U.S., was an outlier to global price trends for scrap and sheet products this month. Multiple mill price increases for sheet have been primarily successful, although current prices remain well below the most recent mill targets of $630 […]
Home buyers in the U.S. bought more existing homes in July as mortgage rates continued to ease. The National Association of Realtors reports that existing-home sales rose 2.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.42 million after dipping in June. On a year-over-year basis, existing home sales were 0.6 percent higher last month. […]