The U.S. Department of Commerce released import license data through the month of December 2018 earlier this week. The December license data is showing a large reduction in semi-finished imports (mostly slabs going to domestic steel mills). SMU believes the lower slab numbers may be due to quotas from Brazil having been reached, thus capping […]
Two manufacturing associations came out with opposing views on Wednesday to a new bill that would limit presidential power for the execution of trade measures under Section 232. The Bicameral Trade Authority Act of 2019, introduced in the House and Senate, would require congressional approval before the president could take trade actions, like tariffs and […]
Whether the mills succeed in collecting the $40 increase on flat rolled they announced in recent days depends a lot on how strong demand proves to be in the first quarter. Such price hikes are common in January as the mills anticipate a pickup in business following the seasonal slowdown in the fourth quarter. Service […]
U.S. Steel’s full-year net earnings nearly tripled from 2017 to 2018, but company executives were disappointed in fourth-quarter results for the Europe and tubular segments. Net earnings for the year totaled $1.1 billion compared to $387 million for 2017. Adjusted EBITDA was $1.76 billion compared to $1.15 billion a year ago, including $1.25 billion generated […]
The Steel Manufacturers Association would like to see the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement ratified by the three countries, even if it calls for a change to the tariffs. Speaking at a press briefing during SMA’s board meeting Thursday in Washington, SMA President Phil Bell said the modernized trade rules in the USMCA are an improvement on NAFTA. […]
Major domestic steelmakers have announced a $40 per ton ($2/cwt) hike in the price of hot rolled, cold rolled and galvanized steel products, fueling the debate over whether current market conditions can support an increase or if the latest announcement is bound to flop like the last one in October. West Coast mills California Steel […]
Nucor Corp. surpassed expectations for 2018, reporting net earnings of $2.36 billion for the full year compared to $1.32 billion in 2017. Net sales jumped 24 percent to $25.07 billion due to a 5 percent increase in tons shipped and an 18 percent jump in the average sales price per ton. Nucor shipped 27.9 million […]
Republic Steel plans to begin operations at its Lorain, Ohio, 9”-10” rolling mill during the second quarter. The special bar quality steel mill has been idled since 2016. “Over 60 employees have been hired and completed training, and the mill has undergone a complete refurbishment,” the company said in a press release. “We have successfully […]
A bill limiting the president’s authority to impose tariffs under the auspice of national security will be introduced in Congress next week. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) will introduce a bill that would require the president to obtain approval from Congress before imports could be restricted under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. […]
The growth of China’s economy has slowed partly as a result of the tariff war with the United States, and China may be in a mood for serious negotiation. Once each quarter, we publish the official statistics for Chinese GDP, industrial production, consumer price inflation and fixed asset investment. Many analysts don’t believe these self-serving […]
In Q3 and Q4 2018, the Pacific region regained the lead as the engine of national job creation. Fourth-quarter employment data by state was released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Friday. The state data follows and confirms the strong employment situation that we reported earlier at the national level. In the fourth […]
Global steel production slowed in December, but this was purely a seasonal effect. Global steel production in December was at an annual rate of 1.765 billion metric tons. Capacity is calculated to be 2.4 billion tons and capacity utilization in December was 74.0 percent, according to the latest Steel Market Update analysis of World Steel […]
There has been a downward reversal in raw materials prices in the last month. Table 1 summarizes the price changes through January of the five materials considered in this analysis. It reports the month/month, 3 months/3 months and 12 months/12 months changes and tells us that price movements have been negative for all materials except […]
Gaurav Chhibbar is a partner at Metal Edge Partners, a firm engaged in Risk Management and Strategic Advisory. In this role, he and his firm design and execute risk management strategies for clients along with providing process and analytical support. In Gaurav’s previous role, he was a trader at Cargill spending time in Metal and […]
Trade attorney and Steel Market Update contributor Lewis Leibowitz offers the following update on events in Washington: The dust hasn’t settled yet from the partial government shutdown that ended Friday night. Already, though, thoughts turn to the issues that divide us as a country. As a trade person, I naturally focus on that issue. You do […]
All is quiet on the eastern front (the western front announced increases yesterday – so, not so quiet there). Steel buyers have been telling Steel Market Update over the past few days that their inventories are stable to high, they are not comfortable with all of the uncertainty and concerned with the lack of transparency […]
On Monday, California Steel Industries (CSI) and USS/POSCO (UPI) advised customers of their intention to take spot prices on flat rolled products produced by the two mills up by $40 per ton ($2.00/cwt). This is the first price announcement out of either mill since October 2018. So far, there have not been any announcements out […]
On Monday, California Steel Industries (CSI) and USS/POSCO (UPI) advised customers of their intention to take spot prices on flat rolled products produced by the two mills up by $40 per ton ($2.00/cwt). This is the first price announcement out of either mill since October 2018. So far, there have not been any announcements out […]
Steel Dynamics is excited about its recently announced plans for a new steel mill in the Southwest. After an outstanding year, breaking records for shipments, sales, net income and cash flow, CEO Mark Millett is looking forward to filling a steel void in the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. Steel Dynamics hopes to announce a site […]
U.S. ports reported a record year for cargo volume in 2018. The Port of Los Angeles broke its all-time cargo record for the third time in a row, moving 9,458,749 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units the size of a container), a 1.2 percent increase from 2017. The Port of New Orleans reported a new record and a […]
Trade attorney and Steel Market Update contributor Lewis Leibowitz offers the following update on events in Washington: New 232 Lawsuit A new complaint against the United States was filed on Thursday, Jan. 17, by three U.S. importers of Turkish steel to contest the doubling of tariffs on Turkish steel into the United States. The plaintiffs are […]
Trade attorney and Steel Market Update contributor Lewis Leibowitz offers the following update on events in Washington: New 232 Lawsuit A new complaint against the United States was filed on Thursday, Jan. 17, by three U.S. importers of Turkish steel to contest the doubling of tariffs on Turkish steel into the United States. The plaintiffs are […]
Trade attorney and Steel Market Update contributor Lewis Leibowitz offers the following update on events in Washington: A bill set for introduction today in the House of Representatives would, if enacted, fundamentally change the basics of U.S. policy on international trade. Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) will introduce the bill, which was drafted by the Trump administration. […]
With no end in sight for U.S.-imposed steel tariffs, United Steelworkers in Canada urge the federal government to keep safeguards in place to guard against foreign steel imports. “Our members themselves are appearing this month before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) to make the case for extending safeguard measures beyond the original 200-day period […]
Sherwin-Williams has announced a 6 percent hike in the cost of paint effective in March, upsetting customers in the prepainted steel and aluminum market. “There is no justification for this paint increase,” said one coil coater. “Oil prices are at their lowest level in years.” Sherwin-Williams raised prices twice last year when oil prices were […]
When we go out for flat rolled and plate steel spot pricing, we do so in a number of ways in order to maximize the number of responses. This week SMU sent out an email inquiry requesting information on pricing, but also on lead times, inventories and foreign steel offers, and we solicited general open […]
Editor’s note: Steel Market Update’s source in China reports on recent remarks by Chinese economic expert Xiang Songzuo, who warned that the nation’s economy is showing signs of crashing. Xiang showed courage in being publicly critical of the government, which later banned his remarks from the internet. “You can look at the history: Only the […]
If the prevailing view in the market proves correct, steel mills will announce a price increase soon—but it won’t stick. Two out of three steel executives responding to Steel Market Update’s market trends questionnaire this past week believe the mills will announce an increase in flat rolled prices by the end of January. But given […]
The North American steel sheet market in 2018 was heavily influenced by effects from the Section 232 tariffs. These tariffs greatly increased U.S. sheet prices, while at the same time helped to further reduce imports. Our forecast today calls for a more measured rate of increase for underlying industrial growth, while prices will more closely […]
The Commerce Department’s research on the national security implications of auto and auto part imports has generated numerous drafts, said Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, because “the picture keeps evolving.” The latest Section 232 draft includes three options for President Trump to consider when weighing if tariffs on the foreign auto industry would be good for […]