John Packard is traveling… Here’s what readers of Steel Market Update have learned this week. Steel prices continue to slide. By Steel Market Update’s calculation, the benchmark price for hot rolled steel now averages $515 per ton. That’s the lowest in 2019. Given the widespread reports of disappointing demand, worsened by the strike at GM […]
Lack of demand for ferrous scrap, especially in the Ohio Valley and Chicago market, forced prices down another $30-40/GT for October, on top of a similar decline in September, sources tell Steel Market Update. Scrap prices are their lowest in years, dropping eight out of the last 10 months. Shred prices today are around $215/GT, […]
The global market share of U.S. scrap exports continues to increase, according to this quarterly analysis of data from the Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau (ISSB) in the UK. We believe that to improve our understanding of the gyrations of the domestic scrap market, we should be aware of where the U.S. stands as a […]
Editor’s note: The Chinese government currently bars exports of ferrous scrap to other parts of the world to assure China of an adequate domestic supply. As this analysis by CRU Principal Analyst Chris Asgill points out, China’s economy will eventually generate a scrap supply that far exceeds its scrap consumption, opening up the doors to […]
Virgin steel is made with iron ore, coke and limestone. It was done that way, and only that way, for many decades. Then along came the “mini” mills. So-called minimills recycle ferrous scrap, mixing it with pig iron or other iron units and melting it down in large electric arc furnaces to produce new steel. […]
Virgin steel is made with iron ore, coke and limestone. It was done that way, and only that way, for many decades. Then along came the “mini” mills. So-called minimills recycle ferrous scrap, mixing it with pig iron or other iron units and melting it down in large electric arc furnaces to produce new steel. […]
There have been some discussions recently with articles written about the global scrap trade and China. China is the world’s largest steel producing nation with 50 percent (or greater) of the world’s steel production. A couple of years ago, I received information from one of my Chinese trading contacts about scrap steel being exported out […]
Domestic steelmakers managed to reverse the year’s long downtrend in steel prices for a few weeks in July and August, but the turnaround was short-lived. As of mid-September, Steel Market Update’s Price Momentum Indicator is pointing firmly lower for hot rolled, cold rolled and coated steel prices, as well as for steel plate, as the […]
John Packard is on vacation… Have the mills lost their pricing momentum on flat rolled? It sure looks that way, based on the latest Steel Market Update data. About 38 percent of the OEM and service center executives responding to SMU’s market trends questionnaire this week report that the mills have lost their momentum and […]
Following on a small $20 increase in August, ferrous scrap prices for September are down $30 to $40 per ton as U.S. mills adjusted to lower demand and planned for upcoming fall shutdowns. “Prices fell this month amid a confluence of factors including ample supply, a weakening export market and mill outages,” reported CRU North […]
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 […]
Ferrous scrap prices are starting to settle as of today. Initial checks with some of our scrap sources found prime grades down $40 and obsolete grades down $30 in portions of the Midwest. We learned the Cleveland area mills bought busheling down $20 to $300/gross ton. We also learned of a purchase of HMS at […]
Steel Market Update sources report that ferrous scrap prices have turned around after repeated declines in the first half of the year and are settling up $20/GT for August, lending support to recent price increases on finished steel. “Demand is about the same for August as it was in July, there is just a little […]
Demand for HVAC products remains relatively strong in an otherwise lukewarm steel market, but members of the Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) say they are challenged by declining galvanized steel prices and rising intensity from the competition. Polled six weeks ago, nearly all the HARDI members expected galvanized steel prices to stay […]
The long-awaited rebound in steel prices was the biggest story of the month in July. Steel Market Update’s Price Momentum Indicator was pointing firmly upward by the end of the month following three $40 price increase announcements by flat rolled steel producers. The benchmark price of hot rolled steel hit $580 per ton in July, […]
The wait is over—Steel Dynamics has announced it will build its new $1.9 billion flat rolled steel mill in Sinton, Texas, 30 miles northwest of Corpus Christi. The new steel mill will serve the four-state Texas area, the western U.S. and Mexico market regions, representing approximately 27 million tons of relevant flat rolled steel consumption—7 […]
Steel Dynamics is expecting modest growth for steel consumption in the second half of 2019 supported by the end of steel inventory destocking and further reduction of steel imports. “The team delivered a solid second-quarter performance in a challenging steel pricing environment,” said SDI President and CEO Mark Millett. “A weakening scrap price environment coupled […]
Domestic steelmakers showed solidarity this week in their pursuit of higher flat rolled steel prices with most major mills announcing their third $40 increase in just the past month. U.S. Steel and USS-POSCO Industries (UPI) were the latest to notify customers of their price change on Tuesday, following on announcements Monday by Nucor and ArcelorMittal […]
Ferrous scrap prices for July settled down $10 per ton in the Western Pennsylvania/Ohio/Indiana markets, stayed sideways in the southern markets, and saw a combination of the two at points west, reported Steel Market Update sources. “This is a far cry from recent expectations of down $20-30/GT and represents what I believe is the bottom […]
Ferrous scrap prices are widely expected to move up in August anywhere from $10 to $30 per ton, lending support to higher finished steel prices. “Most of the trade on both sides of the aisle are expecting the August market to strengthen, though there is debate on how much,” said one Steel Market Update source. […]
The steel price increases announced by the major mills have not had much effect on the HVAC sector yet, but members of the Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) are hopeful the market has bottomed and the value of their inventories has stabilized. “There hasn’t been much change in behavior on the street […]
Steel prices dominated the industry headlines in June, falling between $60 and $85 per ton depending on the product, or roughly 10 percent. Steel Market Update received reports of deals on hot rolled steel below $500 per ton. The mills also made headlines late in the month with their announcement of a $40 per ton […]
Declining ferrous scrap prices are expected to finally bottom in July, but only after backsliding by at least $10 per ton for one more month, predict Steel Market Update sources. Flat rolled steelmakers announced a $40 per ton increase in finished steel prices this week, which brings increased scrutiny to the price of scrap. Scrap […]
Last night, Steel Market Update participated in the annual Bank of America Merrill Lynch dinner hosted by metals and mining analyst Timna Tanners. We also spoke at the CRU Steel Briefing a little earlier in the day. Here are some of the key takeaways from those meetings. Mill Lead Times Short Flat rolled steel mill […]
Steel Market Update’s Steel Buyers Sentiment Index dipped below the +50 mark and continued to erode last month as the uncertainty over tariffs and trade had a negative effect on buyers’ attitudes. With OEM and service center executives feeling less positive about their prospects for the next few months, as indicated by SMU Future Buyers […]
With prime steel prices continuing to slide, market conditions for distributors of secondary steel are a bit discouraging. The cheaper the prime products, the less incentive for buyers to seek out deals on nonprime material. Nonprime or secondary steel includes coils that are rejected because they failed to meet the specifications for their original use, […]
Ferrous scrap prices are down again in May by roughly $30 for obsolete grades and $40 for prime grades, report Steel Market Update sources. May marks the fourth month this year that has seen scrap prices decline. With the mills reportedly cranking out steel at over 80 percent of their capacity, the apparent weakness in […]
Ryerson President and CEO Eddie Lehner said he expected the price of ferrous scrap to fall by $20-30 per ton in May, not to fall to $230 per ton as reported in Thursday’s issue of Steel Market Update in an article on Ryerson’s quarterly conference call. Lehner was also misquoted in a comment that should […]
Following a slower than expected first quarter, activity has begun to pick up in the nonprime/secondary steel market, report service center executives. “Maybe that’s good news for April going forward,” said Lisa Goldenberg, president of Delaware Steel of Pennsylvania, Fort Washington, Pa. Nonprime or secondary steel includes coils that are rejected because they failed to […]
Steel Market Update is pleased to share this Premium content with Executive-level members. For more information on how to upgrade to a Premium-level subscription, email info@SteelMarketUpdate.com. This is a quarterly analysis that SMU performs using data from the Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau in the UK. We believe that to improve our understanding of the […]