President Biden visited the Middle East last week. He touched down at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland early Sunday morning. Every presidential trip is and must be evaluated by what else is going on. This one was originally billed as routine: to attend a summit meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a group […]
The buzz about the war in Ukraine has shifted. For the first three months of the conflict, Ukraine was hailed for a valiant struggle against a strong Russian foe. This valor is part of a larger struggle—the preservation of peace against the threat of violent conquest of weak nations by stronger ones. The stakes could […]
The number of total active drilling rigs in the US and Canada increased this week, according to data from oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The number of active oil and gas drilling rigs in operation is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of oil country tubular goods (OCTG) demand. The […]
Is this a case of the summer doldrums or something more serious? That might be a more important question to answer than where the bottom is and when we might hit it. But first let’s start with a recap of where prices landed this week. SMU’s hot-rolled coil price is now at $955 per ton ($47.75 […]
The number of total active drilling rigs in the US increased again this week, while Canadian rigs decreased after multiple weekly increases, according to data from oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The number of active oil and gas drilling rigs in operation is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of oil […]
I mentioned in my last Final Thoughts that you should keep your eyes open for potential catalysts for higher prices even amid all the signs that tags probably have nowhere to go but lower. It turned out we found one hiding in plain sight. It’s contract talk season in the US, with labor pacts between […]
The Energy Information Administration’s June Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) remains subject to a high level of uncertainty due to factors such as sanctions affecting Russia’s oil production, the production decisions of OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), and the rate at which US producers increase drilling. Due to these uncertainties, the EIA continues to […]
Steel Market Update just conducted one of our flat rolled and plate steel market surveys. The data collected consisted of responses from service centers (46% of respondents), manufacturing companies (32%), steel mills (10%), trading companies (8%), suppliers to the steel industry (4%), and toll processors (2%). We intentionally weight the number toward distributors and manufacturing […]
Steel Market Update just conducted one of our flat rolled and plate steel market surveys. The data collected consisted of responses from service centers (46% of respondents), manufacturing companies (32%), steel mills (10%), trading companies (8%), suppliers to the steel industry (4%), and toll processors (2%). We intentionally weight the number toward distributors and manufacturing […]
Antidumping and countervailing duty (“trade remedy”) cases provide a rare glimpse into tariffs on imported goods that entered the US before they were subject to these burdensome duties. In the opinion of some, retroactively applied tariffs are always unfair to importers and their downstream US customers. Others disagree, believing that they deter imports competing with […]
By CRU Principal Economist Alex Tuckett, from CRU’s Global Economic Outlook Energy costs for consumers – in the form of utility bills and the cost of filling a car – have risen sharply, but not as sharply as the cost of crude oil and natural gas. But this doesn’t necessarily mean a lot more pain […]
Editor’s note: SMU contributor Bryan Tice is a partner at Metal Edge Partners, a firm engaged in Risk Management and Strategic Advisory. In this role, he and the firm design and execute risk management strategies for clients along with providing process and analytical support. Prior to Metal Edge Partners, Bryan held a variety of commercial […]
Spending on nonresidential construction projects declined for the second straight month in April because labor shortages suppressed construction activity, the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) reported. “Nonresidential construction spending is being held back by a paucity of qualified workers, not a lack of projects,” AGC chief economist Ken Simonson said. “With job openings at an all-time […]
The Biden administration, picking up where the “America First” Trump administration left off, extols the virtues of increased production here at home. There are many advantages to this approach, the president says. Increased production in the US will diminish reliance on China in critical materials for electric vehicles (rare earth metals and lithium, for example). […]
The number of total active drilling rigs in the US remained steady this week, while Canadian rigs increased, according to data from oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The number of active oil and gas drilling rigs in operation is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of oil country tubular goods (OCTG) […]
Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) sees a “myriad of opportunities” on the M&A front but disagreements over valuations have prevented some of those deals from moving forward, the company’s top executive said. “It’s a matter of determining what is a great strategic fit at a reasonable value. … People’s aspirations of value are a little steep […]
Who wants to be in the hot-rolled coil business anymore? I ask that only partly in jest. It’s not that no one wants to make spot HRC anymore. It’s just that not many companies seem to want to make it their bread and butter. Nucor spending $3 billion for a garage door company and looking […]
Nucor has signed a definitive purchase agreement to acquire Steel Technologies LLC’s pickle line facility and associated equipment in Ghent, Ky., where the steelmaker also operates a sheet mill. Charlotte, N.C.-based Nucor said Steel Technologies would continue to own and operate slitting equipment at the Ghent location in a letter to customers dated Wednesday, May […]
What a whirlwind last week was. I want to thank Wolfe Research and Bank of America for inviting me to speak, the former virtually, the latter in person. I also want to thank Stanislav Zinchenko and the GMK Center for taking time to join us for what I thought was one of our better Community […]
What a whirlwind last week was. I want to thank Wolfe Research and Bank of America for inviting me to speak, the former virtually, the latter in person. I also want to thank Stanislav Zinchenko and the GMK Center for taking time to join us for what I thought was one of our better Community […]
The number of total active drilling rigs in the US rose again this week, while Canadian rigs remained flat, according to data from oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The number of active oil and gas drilling rigs in operation is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of oil country tubular […]
Mill executives said they are ready for the demand infrastructure spending would generate during AISTech 2022’s Town Hall Forum in Pittsburgh this week. “The infrastructure bill is positive for the entire industry and for downstream industries, but we need to cut red tape,” Cleveland-Cliffs chairman, president and CEO Lourenco Goncalves said. “The bill is great. […]
SMU contributor Tim Stevenson 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 Tim’s previous role, he was a Director at Cargill Risk Management. Prior […]
Flat Rolled = 51.4 Shipping Days of Supply Plate = 48.3 Shipping Days of Supply Flat Rolled US service center flat rolled inventories declined slightly in April in terms of shipping days of supply, while the amount of material on order rose again. At the end of April, service centers carried 51.4 shipping days of […]
Steel prices have peaked and are trending downward – and fast, according to the latest SMU survey results and comments from market participants. The consensus: the war in Ukraine reset the steel market to roughly where it was on Jan. 1. And now the market is trending downward at least as fast as it was in January […]
The Energy Information Administration’s May Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) remains subject to a high level of uncertainty due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Regarding price forecasts, the EIA continues to warn that “actual price outcomes will largely depend on the degree to which existing sanctions imposed on Russia, any potential future sanctions, and independent corporate […]
The US will for one year lift Section 232 tariffs from Ukrainian steel, the Commerce Department said. The move is necessary to support Ukraine in its war against Russia and because steel plays an outsized role in the Ukrainian economy, Commerce said in a press release on Monday, May 9. Case in point: Steel employs […]
The number of total active drilling rigs in the US rose again this week, while Canadian rigs continued their seasonal decline, according to data from oilfield services company Baker Hughes. The number of active oil and gas drilling rigs in operation is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of oil […]
SMU contributor Tim Stevenson 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 Tim’s previous role, he was a Director at Cargill Risk Management. Prior […]
Klöckner & Co. SE reported first quarter profits that were double those a year ago thanks largely to higher prices. The Duisburg, Germany-based service center, which has significant operations in the US, expects the good times to roll into the second quarter as well. All told, Klöckner recorded net income of €172 million ($181.3 million) […]