The year-end market close was quiet this time around when it came to the newswire, but Nucor’s status update on its ultramodern $1.7-billion steel plate mill in Brandenburg, Ky., was the big news we all saw this morning after the holiday break. After rolling its first steel plate on Dec. 30 – an important step […]
Sheet prices entered 2023 moving upward on expectations of higher prime scrap prices, and on a modest uptick in activity as some buyers looked to get ahead of anticipated higher steel prices as well. The gains also came on the heels of a price increase of $50 per ton ($2.50 per cwt) initiated last month […]
Preliminary Census data indicates that steel imports will have totaled 2.01 million net tons for the month of November. This is down 17% compared to the month prior, now standing at the lowest level recorded since February 2021. Import levels have been gradually falling since reaching a 26-month high in March 2022 of 3.09 million […]
Nucor Corp. rolled its first steel plate at its new $1.7-billion plate mill in Brandenburg, Ky., on Dec. 30, the company said in a statement on Tuesday, Jan. 3. The Charlotte, N.C.-based steelmaker confirmed final commissioning and first customer shipments from the mill are expected in the first quarter of 2023. “Congratulations to our more than […]
Nucor Corp. will keep plate prices unchanged with the opening of its February order book. The move comes after the steelmaker announced a sharp decrease in late November. The Charlotte, N.C.-based steelmaker said the move was effective on Dec. 28, in a letter to customers. Published adders and extras will continue to be applied, and the […]
Steel mill lead times increased again this week, extending by an average of 0.3 weeks across all five products we track. Recall that lead times for hot-rolled, cold-rolled, and galvanized products were at or near multi-year lows in our late November market check. Lead times have increased an average of 0.8 weeks compared to levels […]
A significant percentage of steel buyers continue to report that mills willing to negotiate lower prices on new order prices. But that rate has been declining since early November, according to Steel Market Update’s recent market checks. Mills’ willingness to negotiate lower prices for sheet products is at its lowest point since late April, when tags […]
Sheet prices continued to inch upward this week, but the pace of gains slowed ahead of the holidays. Some market participants noted sharply higher offers from mills following a round of $50-per-ton ($2.50/cwt) price hikes last week. They also said activity and backlogs were strong heading into 2023. But others said mills were still offering […]
Nucor plans to build a new, $370-million continuous galvanizing line at California Steel Industries (CSI) to serve construction markets in the western US. The Charlotte, N.C.-based steelmaker said the galv line would have annual capacity of 400,000 tons per year (tpy), and would increase CSI’s total hot-dip galvanizing capacity to 1.2 million tpy. The project […]
We’re nearing the end of 2022, which means it’s time to register for the Tampa Steel Conference as you make your travel plans for 2023. The event will be at the Tampa Marriott Water Street hotel again this year. Mark your calendar for Sunday-Tuesday Feb. 5-7. Nearly 200 of you have registered already. We’re on track […]
We’re nearing the end of 2022, which means it’s time to register for the Tampa Steel Conference as you make your travel plans for 2023. The event will be at the Tampa Marriott Water Street hotel again this year. Mark your calendar for Sunday-Tuesday Feb. 5-7. Nearly 200 of you have registered already. We’re on track […]
Flat Rolled = 52.4 Shipping Days of Supply Plate = 50.3 Shipping Days of Supply Flat Rolled US service center flat-rolled supply in November was steady month on month (m/m), according to Steel Market Update data. At the end of November, service centers had 52.4 shipping days of flat-rolled steel supply on an adjusted basis, compared […]
Imported sheet and plate products’ arrival at US ports varied in November, leading their share of the US market to diverge, even though domestic shipments declined during the month. That’s according to a Steel Market Update analysis of import data from the US Commerce Department and domestic shipment figures from the American Iron and Steel […]
Imported sheet and plate products arrived at US ports at a slightly higher clip in October, though their share of the US market diverged as domestic shipments varied during the month. That’s according to a Steel Market Update analysis of import data from the US Commerce Department and domestic shipment figures from the American Iron […]
Total US mill shipments of steel products edged up in October, recovering slightly month on month (MoM), after falling in September to their lowest total year to date (YTD). Mill shipments have been fluctuating up and down all year with little consistency, and October was no different. October’s shipments totaled 7.65 million tons, a 0.9% increase […]
On Monday and Tuesday of this week, SMU polled steel buyers on a variety of subjects including current and future steel prices, inventory strategies, supply, demand, and new mill capacity. We are sharing the comments we received in each buyer’s own words rather than summarizing them in ours. We want to hear your thoughts, too! […]
Hot-rolled coil prices have risen for a third consecutive on the heels of a $60-per-ton ($3-per-cwt) post-Thanksgiving price hike by domestic mills. Also providing a lift to sheet prices are higher scrap costs, expectations of buyer restocking in the first quarter, and a sense among mills that momentum is on their side. A second round […]
The US Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) has updated antidumping (AD) duties on cut-to-length plate from Belgium and welded standard pipe from Turkey, according to documents in the US government’s Federal Register. CTL Plate from Belgium The ITA recently finalized an administrative review of the AD duties on CTL plate from Industeel Belgium […]
US steel export volumes eased further from September to October, falling 4% to 697,000 net tons, according to the latest US Commerce Department data. Exports are now at a nine-month low, with October being the third slowest month of trade over the past 20 months. Exports have trended downwards since peaking in March and April of this […]
After surging in late November to a five-month high, Steel Market Update’s (SMU) Steel Buyers Sentiment Index slipped three points through Dec. 8th. Our Future Buyers Sentiment Index also fell a few points from it’s previous high, down three points in comparison to two weeks prior. Buyers Sentiment remains strong overall, and Current Sentiment is […]
After surging in late November to a five-month high, Steel Market Update’s (SMU) Steel Buyers Sentiment Index slipped three points through Dec. 8th. Our Future Buyers Sentiment Index also fell a few points from it’s previous high, down three points in comparison to two weeks prior. Buyers Sentiment remains strong overall, and Current Sentiment is […]
The US Department of Commerce has updated antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) on carbon and alloy cut-to-length plate imports from Italy and South Korea after two administrative reviews, according to Federal Register filings reviewed by Steel Market Update. In the AD duty review of Italian CTL plate shipments during the one-year period ended April 30, […]
There has been a reduction in the percentage of sheet buyers reporting that mills are willing to talk price on new orders, according to Steel Market Update’s latest market questionnaire. Mill willingness to negotiate on sheet products is now at the lowest rate recorded since May. Negotiation rates on plate products went in the opposite […]
Steel mill lead times extended across the board this week, with production times increasing for all five products we track. Recall that lead times for hot-rolled, cold-rolled, and galvanized products were previously at or near multi-year lows in our late November market check. Lead times are up by an average of 0.5 weeks compared to […]
Sheet imports into the US slowed noticeably in November, while imports of plate and semifinished slab rose, according to the latest license figures released by the US Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. All steel imports into the US require an import license to enter through Customs. The license count provides a first look into […]
JSW Steel USA announced that Mark Bush has stepped down as CEO to pursue other opportunities. Greg Manfredi, current COO of JSW Steel USA, will take interim charge, and lead both the Mingo Junction, Ohio, and the Baytown, Texas, teams. His role will also include the continued execution of the modernization and upgrades of the […]
Sheet price hikes announced last week by domestic mills appeared to have succeeded in putting a floor under tags this week. The question now is to what extent the increases will stick and whether those gains will be sustainable. Our hot-rolled coil price reflects broader market trends. SMU’s average HRC price stood at $615 per […]
2022: A Year of Unprecedented Change and Volatility We entered 2022 expecting plenty of change in aluminum and the market delivered more than its fair share of twists and turns. There were 3 macroeconomic effects that rippled through the entire global economy: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent global energy prices soaring, as they “weaponized” their […]
US plate prices were mostly flat this week, but more erosion could be on the horizon now that Nucor announced another round of price cuts. SMU’s most recent check of the market on Tuesday, Nov. 29 placed plate prices between $1,480-1,620 per ton with an average of $1,550 per ton FOB mill east of the […]
If you’re somewhat new to the steel industry, the wave of $60-per-ton sheet price hikes announced by mills in the US and Canada this week might have seemed a little weird. Why did they all announce it at once? Why did they all pick the exact same number to go up by? Let’s say you […]