Tag: Imports

China recently became the world’s largest exporter of cars. Experience from the steel industry suggests this is not a trend that will reverse.

There is a lot going on at SMU right now. We’re going to be rolling out a new website over the next few days. We’ve also got more than 1,200 people registered to attend Steel Summit this year, putting us on pace to potentially break last year’s attendance record of nearly 1,300.

Five domestic steel trade associations wrote a letter requesting the government to ensure the use of US-made steel in certain components of wind and solar projects receiving federal funding. Addressing the letter to US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, the groups included the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA), American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), […]

An unusual clash of powerful forces is in full swing over tin mill products. This flat-rolled steel product is used to make “tin cans” that hold a huge array of food products and other metal containers sold throughout the world. Tin mill products are generally made from cold-rolled steel that is coated with tin or […]

China recently became the world’s largest exporter of cars. Experience from the steel industry suggests this is not a trend that will reverse, though it might reduce. Changes in auto supply chains and metals demand outside China are likely. China Is Now the World’s Largest Car Exporter China recently became the world’s largest exporter of […]

The LME aluminum three-month price is moving higher again, closing the week on the morning of July 28 at $2,215 per tonne. The previous day, the price dropped sharply at the close and briefly moved below $2,200/t. The next day the price was seen increasing again, suggesting support at $2,200/t has once again been regained. 

The LME aluminum three-month price is moving higher again, closing the week on the morning of July 28 at $2,215 per tonne. The previous day, the price dropped sharply at the close and briefly moved below $2,200/t. The next day the price was seen increasing again, suggesting support at $2,200/t has once again been regained.  […]

Mexican steelmaker Ternium could benefit if the US places new steel tariffs on Mexico, according to New York-based investment firm Morgan Stanley. “First, if the US were to levy tariffs on steel imports from Mexico, we believe the government of Mexico would likely respond with a similar measure. Second, due to its product mix, Ternium would likely benefit […]

A preliminary count of imports during the month of June shows little changes from SMU’s previously reported import license analysis. Total imports were 2,792,674 net tons in June’s preliminary count by the US Department of Commerce. As SMU reported earlier this month, that’s the highest level imports have been over the past year. Flat-rolled imports […]

The US HRC Futures market has been on a roller-coaster ride since our last update (green). In early July, the front month futures contracts surged significantly as news of Steel Dynamics Inc.’s (SDI’s) Sinton, Texas, mill outage trickled through the market (blue).

The US HRC Futures market has been on a roller coaster ride since our last update (green). In early July, the front month futures contracts surged significantly as news of Steel Dynamics Inc.’s (SDI’s) Sinton, Texas, mill outage trickled through the market (blue). However, the futures quickly reversed course and experienced a sharp decline, following […]

A preliminary count of imports during the month of June shows little changes from SMU’s previously reported import license analysis, so here we take a look at where all that steel is coming from

On Monday and Tuesday of this week, SMU polled steel buyers on a variety of subjects, including steel prices, demand levels, import offers, and inventory. Rather than summarizing the comments we received, we are sharing some of them in each buyer’s own words. We want to hear your thoughts, too! Contact david@steelmarketupdate.com to be included in […]

The US Department of Commerce this week ruled that critical circumstances exist in part in the trade case investigating illegal subsidies on tin mill products from China, meaning duties may be applied retroactively.

On Monday and Tuesday of this week, SMU polled steel buyers on a variety of subjects, including steel prices, demand levels, import offers, and inventory. Rather than summarizing the comments we received, we are sharing some of them in each buyer’s own words. We want to hear your thoughts, too! Contact david@steelmarketupdate.com to be included in […]

The US Department of Commerce this week ruled that critical circumstances exist in part in the trade case investigating illegal subsidies on tin mill products from China, meaning duties may be applied retroactively. Recall that Cleveland-Cliffs and the United Steelworkers (USW) union in January filed a trade case seeking countervailing duties for tin- and chromium-coated […]

A stable market and steady lead times have led to decent demand, but companies are still keeping a close eye on where the market is headed, according HARDI members.

We weren’t supposed to see hot-rolled coil prices dip below $800 per ton ($40 per cwt) anytime soon.

We weren’t supposed to see hot-rolled coil prices dip below $800 per ton ($40 per cwt) anytime soon. Or at least that seemed to be the consensus in mid-June after mills rolled out a round of $50-per-ton price hikes, with a second round rumored to be in the works. That second round of price hikes […]

A stable market and steady lead times have led to decent demand, but companies are still keeping a close eye on where the market is headed, according to members of the Heating, Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) speaking on the July 25 meeting of its Sheet Metal/Air Handling Council. During June’s meeting, 36% of […]

In 2021, the US and EU called a timeout on their disputes about the US “national security” steel and aluminum tariffs and the resulting retaliatory measures by the EU. The agreement back then rescinded the Section 232 tariffs and replaced them with a “tariff-rate quota” that allowed a measure of tariff-free trade. In exchange, the […]

In 2021, the US and EU called a timeout on their disputes about the US “national security” steel and aluminum tariffs and the resulting retaliatory measures by the EU.

With the latest announcement between India and the US easing Section 232 duties, it is clear the duties, initiated in 2018, are under review. Now that five years have passed, a good amount of data has been gathered to analyze the effects of the policy. Judging from each scheduled review of the economic effects of […]

With the latest announcement between India and the US easing Section 232 duties, it is clear the duties, initiated in 2018, are under review. Now that five years have passed, a good amount of data has been gathered to analyze the effects of the policy. Judging from each scheduled review of the economic effects of the policy resulting in its continuation, it is clear that it has had a positive impact on parts of the industry. However, there are also a handful of knock-on effects that have become apparent.

Movements in lead times were mixed this week, with those for hot rolled and Galvalume falling back marginally, and those for cold rolled, galvanized, and plate extending slightly. We’re still waiting for a clear pattern to emerge with lead times, as they seem to have been bouncing around since June and generally trending down since […]

Steel buyers report that mills are willing to negotiate lower spot prices for the sheet products SMU surveys.

The US hot-rolled coil (HRC) premium over offshore product declined this past week, as prices abroad moved up while domestic tags declined, according to SMU's latest foreign vs. domestic price analysis.

The US hot-rolled coil (HRC) premium over offshore product declined this past week, as prices abroad moved up while domestic tags declined, according to SMU’s latest foreign vs. domestic price analysis. HRC tags stateside declined $20 per ton vs. the prior week, slipping to their lowest level since mid-February. Domestic prices are now down $290 […]

Steel buyers report that mills are willing to negotiate lower spot prices for the sheet products SMU surveys. It’s a different story in plate, where buyers find mills less willing to negotiate lower, according to SMU’s most recent survey data.  The percentage of respondents saying steel mills were willing to talk price on plate stood at 29% this […]

Antidumping and countervailing duties on imports of steel wire rod from a handful of countries will remain in place for another five years.