Steel Market Update’s new analysis of sheet, plate, long and tubular product imports and their 18 subcategories is still a work in progress, but it offers a timely means to examine the effects of the Section 232 legislation on the market. Table 1 shows total supply to the market in three months through February and […]
AK Steel announced that three of its employees were recognized by the Manufacturing Institute as 2018 STEP Ahead Award winners who exemplify leadership in Science, Technology, Engineering and Production. Lisa A. Vensel, AK Steel General Manager, Manufacturing Planning, and Joyce C. Niedringhaus, AK Steel Principal Research Engineer, were named 2018 STEP Ahead Honorees. Ayesha Satija, […]
Steel Market Update steel training workshops continue to be very popular. We are finding many companies sending their new people to our flagship Steel 101 workshop. This workshop is excellent for those new to the industry; however, it is not just for new employees. It is an excellent way to expand the knowledge base of […]
In Q1 2018, steel sheet product imports increased and plate products decreased compared to Q4 2017. Total rolled steel imports increased by 3.6 percent, and sheet products by 0.5 percent, in the three months through March compared to three months through December 2017. Plate products decreased by 9.7 percent on the same basis, according to […]
Olympic Steel, Inc., has acquired Berlin Metals LLC, the Hammond, Ind., service center. Terms of the all-cash deal were not disclosed. With approximately $50 million in annual sales, Berlin Metals processes and distributes prime tin mill products and stainless-steel strip in slit coil form. The company is also a supplier of galvanized, light-gauge cold rolled sheet and strip, as well as other […]
Olympic Steel, Inc., has acquired Berlin Metals LLC, the Hammond, Ind., service center. Terms of the all-cash deal were not disclosed. With approximately $50 million in annual sales, Berlin Metals processes and distributes prime tin mill products and stainless-steel strip in slit coil form. The company is also a supplier of galvanized, light-gauge cold rolled sheet and strip, as well as other […]
Key market indicators tracked by Steel Market Update in March remain very positive, but took a small step back from the all-time highs reported in February. Data released in March shows that 18 of the 36 indicators are historically positive with only 5 negative. The balance is within the band of historically normal. Trends deteriorated […]
JSW Steel made another move to expand its U.S. operations by buying the Acero Junction sheet mill in Mingo Junction, Ohio. The $80.85 million purchase was finalized on Wednesday with JSM International, Acero Junction Holding Inc. and Acero Junction Inc. and is expected to close within 60 days. JSW, the India-based steelmaker, will have 100 […]
Ferrous scrap prices are expected to rise $20 to $30 per gross ton in April, and possibly more, according to Steel Market Update sources. All grades are expected to see increases, and with relative parity across the country. One dealer told SMU there is pressure on obsolete grades as the long winter has impeded the […]
Steel Market Update forecast that flat rolled steel shipments from U.S. service centers would slightly decline from 105,109 tons per day in January to 104,577 tons per day in February. The Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) reported last week that sheet distributors shipped 109,565 tons per day, an increase over January. Our shipment forecast accuracy […]
Service center shipments in February were stronger than the seasonal norm, according to Steel Market Update’s latest analysis of Metals Service Center Institute data. Daily shipments in February were 3.8 percent higher than in January. On average since 2009, February shipments have decreased by 0.4 percent; therefore, these latest numbers were seasonally better than the […]
The value of the U.S. dollar has strengthened in the last six weeks, though it remains down for the year. So far in 2018, the dollar has weakened by 8.1 percent, after a turnaround of 2.9 percent from Feb. 2 to March 16. Please see the end of this report for an explanation of data […]
The dollar has been trading in a range for eight weeks and on April 13 had the same value as it did on Feb. 14. Since its recent peak on Jan. 3, 2017, the dollar has weakened by 8.9 percent and in 2018 is down by 1.0 percent through April 13. Please see the end […]
Steel supply and pricing were the main topics discussed during the March 20 Heating, Air-conditioning, and Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) conference call. The Section 232 tariff on steel will go into effect on Friday, March 23, but HARDI members are already seeing an impact in the market. Steel prices are up $6/cwt since the last […]
Last week, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) announced that in the last two months of 2017, the U.S. pumped more crude oil than at any time in history. The spot price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) broke through the $60 level on Dec. 29 for the first time since Dec. 18, 2014. It reached $64.22 […]
Steel Market Update’s 8th Steel Summit Conference will be held at the Georgia International Convention Center on Monday, Aug. 27, through Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2018. We’ve been watching the markets very carefully as we put together our final agenda and have worked hard to select the best speakers possible. On Friday, we added AK Steel […]
Steel Market Update’s 8th Steel Summit Conference will be held at the Georgia International Convention Center on Monday, Aug. 27, through Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2018. We’ve been watching the markets very carefully as we put together our final agenda and have worked hard to select the best speakers possible. On Friday, we added AK Steel […]
The competitive position of steel and steel products has improved in the last few months, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data. In the past, we have reported the producer price indexes of steel and some competing products on a quarterly basis. This month, we have revamped and expanded our report to provide subscribers […]
Anticipating the U.S. Commerce Department will soon begin considering applications for exemptions from the Trump administration tariffs on steel and aluminum, South Korea’s Dongkuk Steel has reportedly suspended its April exports to the United States. Reuters quoted a company spokesman who said the steelmaker has put its exports to the U.S. temporarily on hold while […]
Flat rolled sheet prices, as well as plate prices, surged this week as steel mills moved to allocation or totally withdraw from the market pending further examination of the Section 232 ruling and how it will impact each mill’s ability to produce sheet and plate products. SMU is hearing of offers on hot rolled as […]
U.S. Steel provided full-year 2018 earnings guidance on Monday in light of the recent Section 232 tariffs. As a result of the imposition of a 25 percent tariff on steel imports, the company decided to resume steelmaking operations at Granite City Works with the restart of its “B” blast furnace. U.S. Steel anticipates incremental shipments […]
We received a question from one of our readers today asking for clarification on import market share as presented in different articles. We look at imports from both a macro view (total imports = percentage of apparent supply) as well as a more focused view (such as how large is the share of pipe and […]
Imports’ shares of the major steel product markets are all on the decline, reveals a new report on imports from Steel Market Update. The report examines the import share of sheet, plate, long and tubular products and 18 subcategories of these product groups. We think the introduction of this analysis is timely as a way […]
Total rolled steel imports declined by 14.8 percent, and sheet products by 13.6 percent, in the three months through February compared to the prior three-month period, according to Steel Market Update’s analysis of federal Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) data. This is the second edition of our new and expanded import report that now […]
NLMK USA told Steel Market Update this afternoon that if the 25 percent tariff on steel, and specifically on steel slabs, goes into effect, the future of their company and the people who work for it is in jeopardy long term. Steel Market Update spoke with Bob Miller, President of NLMK USA and Executive Vice […]
NLMK USA told Steel Market Update this afternoon that if the 25 percent tariff on steel, and specifically on steel slabs, goes into effect, the future of their company and the people who work for it is in jeopardy long term. Steel Market Update spoke with Bob Miller, President of NLMK USA and Executive Vice […]
California Steel Industries (CSI) is calling for President Trump to exclude semi-finished steel from the 25 percent tariff he is expected to impose on steel imports under Section 232. CSI is a “slab converter” mill, relying almost entirely on imported slab as feedstock to produce coil steel sheet and electrical resistance welded (ERW) pipe. Because steel […]
Steel Market Update forecast that flat rolled steel shipments from U.S. service centers would rise from 87,805 tons per day in December to 109,083 tons per day in January. The Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) reported last week that sheet distributors shipped 105,109 tons per day. Our shipment forecast accuracy continues to be high, off […]
Key market indicators, and the trends they reveal, are the best they have ever been in Steel Market Update’s analysis. Data released in February shows that 18 of the 36 indicators are historically positive with only six negative. The balance is within the band of historically normal. Trends improved with 32 of the indicators heading […]
The decline in value of the U.S. dollar on the international exchange markets has slowed in the last 30 days, according to Steel Market Update’s latest analysis of currencies. Please see the end of this report for an explanation of data sources. The analysis of currency trends is a highly technical undertaking. Therefore, in this […]