Tag: demand

Galvanized sheet buyers and distributors report that strong demand and constrained supply persist, exerting upward pressure on prices.

CRU: Tight market balance will drive up US steel plate prices, while weak demand and lower CBAM costs will pull European prices down. Weather risks will shape Asian markets, from Chinese rain disruptions to uneven Indian monsoons.

Hot-rolled coil market participants report little disruption to their contact volumes, finding timely spot HR proved less straightforward, some sources told SMU. 

Some domestic plate market participants recently voiced concerns that current market conditions will impact fabrication and manufacturing, which rely on steady product supply.   

Earlier this week, SMU polled steel buyers on an array of topics, ranging from prices, demand, and inventories to tariffs, imports, and evolving market conditions.

SMU’s Steel Demand Index ticked back up from late May, remaining in elevated territory, according to mid-June indicators.

May was the fifth consecutive month of expansion for the US manufacturing sector, according to the most recent Institute for Supply Management (ISM) report.

SMU’s Mill Order Index recovered in May, reclaiming some momentum lost the month prior.

Spot market participants recently told SMU they foresee additional plate price rises for domestically made products.

Sheet prices in the USA continued to move higher over the past month as supply remained tight in the country

SMU’s latest steel buyers market survey results are now available on our website to all premium members.

The World Cup only comes around every four years. So let's take a walk down memory lane to see where the steel market stood four years ago.

Some domestic spot market buyers say they're seeking imported hot-rolled (HR) coils.

Has anyone seen a creature called the “spot ton” in the wild? I ask because they used to be a common sight. And now I hear they’re endangered.

Most companies making steel are making a lot money. And they will continue to as current high prices flow into contracts in Q3. I don’t want to kill the vibe. (No one likes that guy.) But let’s put on your risk-manager cap for a second and imagine what might keep everything from moving up and to the right indefinitely.

Global output will remain broadly flat this year, with further downgrades in Europe due to ongoing costs, regulatory, and competitive pressures, as well as a weaker economic outlook and rising inflationary pressures.

Steel market chatter this week: Buyers predict prices to continue rising from here, report steady to improving demand, and most see tariffs as unhelpful.

Participants in the plate market doubt prices, lead times, and demand forces will cool down any time soon.

Market participants report frustration with extending lead times for domestically produced plate products.  

AMU's May aluminum market survey showed lengthier rolled product lead times coupled with shrinking extrusion and primary booking windows, though inventory building and forward demand sentiment remained cautious.

Earlier this week, SMU polled steel buyers on an array of topics, ranging from market prices, demand, and inventories to tariffs, imports, and evolving market events.

Galvanized steel buyers and distributors expect tightening supply and rising price pressure to last into summer.

SMU’s latest steel buyers market survey results are now available on our website to all premium members.

Plate market participants wonder how plate supply will hold up in coming weeks and months, sources told SMU.   Some sources called out dwindling availability of heavier grades and said certain domestic producers have “a huge backlog.” of all grades.

Sheet market participants found modest spot price increases this past week, but conceded that overall market conditions remained stable.  

Ternium expects steel demand in Mexico to keep improving through the second quarter as destocking fades and new industrial policies take hold.

SMU’s Mill Order Index (MOI) recovered in March, gaining some momentum after a marginal decline in February.

I haven’t done a deep dive into our sentiment data for a little while. And it’s timely to do so now. Why? Because we’re seeing what I’ll call the inverted yield curve of steel buyers’ sentiment.

SMU’s latest steel buyers market survey results are now available on our website to all premium members.

Steel buyers remain highly optimistic about their businesses’ chances of success today and in the near future, according to SMU’s Steel Buyers’ Sentiment Indices.