US steel exports jumped 16% in March to 843,000 net tons, now the highest monthly level seen since June 2018, according to the latest US Department of Commerce data. On a 12-month moving average, March exports continue to hold onto a 3-year record high at 741,000 tons per month. Total March exports are 7% higher than levels seen […]
SSAB Americas aims to increase plate prices by at least $50 per ton ($2.50 per cwt) effective immediately on all non-contract orders confirmed to ship on or after July 3. The Mobile, Ala-based steelmaker said the price hike would be $65 per ton CAD for customers in Canada. The increase applies equally to as-rolled, normalized, […]
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 […]
Final US Department of Commerce data shows that steel imports in March rebounded 32% month-over-month to 3.09 million net tons, a 2+ year high. But April import licenses through May 4 are currently at 2.58 million tons, down 17% from March. (That said, April is still up 10% compared to February.) Final finished steel imports were 2.52 […]
Sheet prices were flat or lower again this week on expectations of lower scrap prices and concerns about increased import competition over the summer months. Hot-rolled coil prices were down $10 per ton, cold-rolled prices were unchanged, galvanized base prices down $30 per ton, and Galvalume base prices down $35 per ton. Plate prices were […]
Sheet and plate prices were flat or down modestly again this week. And it has become clearer and clearer that the market has gotten over the initial shock of the war in Ukraine. Mill after mill lined up during earnings calls last month to say that they were no longer sourcing pig iron from Russia […]
US Steel is in the midst of a 45-day planned outage on the No. 8 blast furnace at its Gary Works in northwest Indiana. The outage began on April 11 and is for typical repairs, a spokeswoman for the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker told SMU. She did not have an end date for the repairs. That said, […]
US Steel is no longer importing pig iron from Ukraine and Russia for its Big River Steel Works – now the official name of its Osceola, Ark., electric arc furnace (EAF) sheet mill. The Pittsburgh-based steelmaker has also mostly weaned its integrated steel mill in Košice, Slovakia, off Russian raw materials as well, they said. […]
Nucor aims to keep plate prices flat with the opening of its June 2022 order book. The decision marks a departure for the Charlotte, N.C.-based steelmaker, which had increased plate prices on March 9 for April orders and again on March 31 for May orders. “Effective with new orders received as of April 28, 2022, […]
Strong demand, growing shipment levels, and robust metals pricing allowed Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. to achieve another record quarter with first quarter sales of $4.49 billion and gross profit of $1.39 billion. “Notwithstanding ongoing macroeconomic challenges, our performance was supported by positive underlying trends including continued strong demand with improving shipment levels in each […]
Steel mills appear to be loosening their firm grip on price negotiations, according to buyers polled in our latest steel market survey. Over half of hot rolled steel buyers now report that mills are willing to talk price to secure an order. Every two weeks, SMU asks respondents: Are you finding domestic mills willing to negotiate spot pricing […]
Steel Market Update’s latest check of the market indicates steel mill lead times are sideways to down for sheet and plate products, decreasing by an average of 0.4 weeks compared to two weeks prior. This is the first time lead times have declined on average since late January. Hot rolled, cold rolled, and galvanized lead […]
Sheet prices continue to bump around what some sources think might be the top of the market, with prices for most products down modestly week-over-week. Hot-rolled coil and cold-rolled prices slipped $30 per ton ($1.50 per cwt). Galvanized base prices were down $20 per ton. And Galvalume prices slipped $45 per ton. The dip comes […]
NIM Group has announced plans to acquire the PlatePlus Inc. facility in Tulsa, Oka. The deal between the two service center groups is expected to close on April 29, NIM Group said. It comes after NIM Group scooped up another PlatePlus facility in Windsor, Colo., earlier this year. “We are pleased to welcome the Tulsa […]
Preliminary Census data shows that steel imports in March increased 31% month-over-month to 3.09 million net tons, rising from an 11-month low to a 2+ year high. April import licenses through April 24 are currently at 2.07 million tons, down 33% from March and down 12% compared to February. Preliminary finished steel imports were 2.52 million tons in March, up […]
Swedish steelmaker SSAB posted a strong start to 2022 with better-than-expected first-quarter results. The solid performance across all divisions was thanks to high steel prices, offsetting disruptions in Raahe, Finland, and Americas’ operations, the company said. SSAB Americas’ revenue was $7.465 billion Swedish krona ($767 million USD) in the first quarter of 2022, more than […]
Matthew Abrams, Analyst, CRU Group As costs, premiums, and prices all remain high, market participants across all sectors are all looking for the edge of the cliff. The war, Covid 19, and inflation are all part of the daily conversation. Supply disruptions and demand destruction are very real worries for all those involved. In what could […]
Imports of less expensive sheet and plate products continue to arrive at US ports, but at a slower pace. February marked only the second decrease in overall flat product imports in 10 months, according to Commerce Department data. Imports’ share of the US sheet and plate products markets peaked in December, reaching their highest levels in the […]
Today we are sharing the full proposed agenda for the 2022 SMU Steel Summit Conference. As you will note there are a few programs where we are in negotiations with speakers or working on making sure the program is fresh for those who have attended our conference in the past. There are several themes we […]
Nucor expects to complete the $650 million expansion and upgrade of its Gallatin sheet mill in Ghent, Ky., in June, company executives said. And the Charlotte, N.C.-based steelmaker’s new $1.35 billion plate mill in Brandenburg, Ky. – slated to have annual capacity of 1.2 million tons – remains on track to start up late in […]
The SMU Steel Summit Conference was, at its inception, about two things: networking and forecasting. Our conference aims to expand our attendees’ knowledge of the economy, the flat rolled and plate industries, and key market segments. It’s also about getting to know one another better as companies look to improve or expand their relationships with […]
Nucor Corp. earnings dipped slightly in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the fourth quarter on lower profits from its sheet mills. But the Charlotte, N.C.-based steelmaker predicted that the trend would reverse in the second quarter – when it expects to post the most profitable quarter in its history. “Our key forward looking […]
Sheet prices rose modestly across this board this week, following slight declines seen last week. Steel Market Update’s check of the market puts benchmark hot-rolled coil prices at $1,480 per ton, up $30 per ton from one week prior. Coated and plate products saw increases as well, moving upwards between $10 and $40 per ton […]
Today we are sharing the full proposed agenda for the 2022 SMU Steel Summit Conference. As you will note there are a few programs where we are in negotiations with speakers or working on making sure the program is fresh for those who have attended our conference in the past. There are several themes we […]
Flat Rolled = 52 Shipping Days of Supply Plate = 44.4 Shipping Days of Supply Flat Rolled US service center flat rolled inventories edged down further in March. Inventories did not fall as much as expected, as attitudes about inventory changed with the reversal of pricing trends. At the end of March, service centers carried […]
Total mill shipments of steel products fell for the second straight month in February to 7.655 million tons, a 6.1% decline from January’s 8.153 million tons. Apparent supply also fell in February, down 12.1% versus the prior month, falling repeatedly and unable to maintain the momentum seen during the final quarter of 2021. This analysis is based […]
I shouldn’t say put a fork in this market and call it done. It’s probably too early for that. But some of the anecdotal indicators I mentioned last week are increasingly showing up in the data we and others collect. Take a look at today’s issue: Lead times are still rising, for the most part. […]
Steel mill lead times appear to be steadying this week for four of the five sheet and plate products we track. They are also rising at a slower rate compared to the big gains seen in March. Steel Market Update’s latest check of the market indicates sheet lead times increased by an average of 0.2 weeks […]
The firm grip mills have held on price negotiations remains but may be softening, according to buyers polled in our latest market survey. Every two weeks, SMU asks respondents: Are you finding domestic mills willing to negotiate spot pricing on new orders placed this week? On average this week, three out of four steel buyers reported that mills are […]
Steel Market Update has been working on the agenda for the 2022 SMU Steel Summit Conference, which will be held in Atlanta on August 22-24. This year’s conference will address many of the issues affecting the flat-rolled and plate steel markets. Over the next few issues, we will roll out our conference program, the confirmed […]