Tag: shipping

Steel mill lead times extended to multi-year highs on both sheet and plate products this week.

The market has been naturally fixated on the disruption of aluminum exports from the Persian Gulf. However, there is another shipping problem that also may have repercussions on the movement of manufactured goods originating in the Pacific. That is extreme congestion at the Panama Canal.

It's been just two weeks since the US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran. And markets are still in flux as we wade through conflicting messages from the administration on what the goals are when it could be over.

Following extensions in February, steel mill lead times held steady or extended further for both sheet and plate products this week, according to buyers responding to our latest market survey.

Sims Ltd. said on Monday it has acquired the assets of Tri Coastal Trading (TCT), Houston, for $66.5 million in cash.

US-flagged iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes fell last year vs. 2024.

Shipments of heating and cooling equipment fell for the sixth straight month in November, reaching the lowest rate seen since October 2016, according to the latest data released by the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI).

Freight rates have risen $30-$50 on transatlantic cargoes, depending on the final destination.

Flat rolled = 57.1 shipping days of supply Plate = 55.7 shipping days of supply Flat rolled US service centers reined in flat roll supply in May, coinciding with declining shipments. At the end of May, service centers carried 57.1 shipping days of supply, according to adjusted SMU data. That’s down slightly from 57.6 shipping […]

What's going on in West Coast ports?

Quotas featured in the UK agreement may show up in future deals.

Container shipping lines have sharply increased blank sailings on Transpacific routes in response to escalating trade tensions between the US and China.

Steel service center shipments and inventories report through March 2024.

The US Trade Representative (USTR) has drafted a proposal targeting the Chinese shipbuilding industry by setting elevated port fees for any maritime shipping company associated with Chinese-built vessels.

With construction seasonally soft, the flatbed market remains softer than the other main trailer types.

In 2024, volatility with a capital “V” has been the rule. That will remain high heading into 2025.

Following the short-lived East Coast port labor strike in October, we now turn toward the Jan. 15 deadline to reach a long-term agreement.

Another day, another massive gap between the news and market sentiment. On the news side, we’ve got war in the Middle East. The devastation facing western North Carolina coming into tragic focus. And the outcome of the presidential election remains a coin toss, according to current polling.

All eyes are on the coastwide longshoremen's strike, with many scrambling to assess the situation and understand its implications for their businesses and the economy.

Unless a last-minute deal is struck by midnight on Monday, a massive work stoppage will hit ports up and down the East and Gulf Coasts on Tuesday and cause widespread supply chain disruption. Master contract negotiations remain stalled between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). The employer group took […]

A potential labor strike is threatening to disrupt supply chains up and down the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts beginning next week.

Galvanized prices have fallen precipitously from a month ago, though many market participants think a bottom is in sight.

The price gap between US cold-rolled (CR) coil and imported CR has fallen to a 10-month low as domestic tags continue to drift lower. Domestic CR coil prices averaged $920 per short ton (st) in our check of the market on Tuesday, July 16, down $40/st from the week before. CR tags are now down […]

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) have just over two months left to reach a new labor agreement and avoid a strike at all Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports. However, with talks still suspended, ILA’s president says a strike looks more likely with each passing day.

US hot-rolled (HR) coil prices this week drifted further below offshore hot band prices on a landed basis. The premium is now near a two-year low. SMU’s check of the market on Tuesday, July 16, put domestic HR coil tags at $640 per short ton (st) on average, down $10/st from last week. Stateside hot […]

Steel mill lead times remain short according to our latest market canvass of steel service center and manufacturer buyers. Of the sheet and plate products SMU tracks, production times for all materials are nearing historical lows not seen in months or years.

Growth in the US economy continues to be constrained. The Federal Reserve’s Beige Book report for July shows more areas reporting flat or declining economic activity than in its previous report at the end of May.

Flat Rolled = 60.9 Shipping Days of Supply Plate = 59 Shipping Days of Supply Flat Rolled US service center flat-rolled steel supply remained high at the end of June at 60.9 shipping days of supply, according to adjusted SMU data. This translates to 3.05 months of supply in June. At the end of May, […]

Reliance Inc. has reached an agreement to buy certain assets of Ferragon Corp.'s FerrouSouth division, a toll processing operation based in Iuka, Miss.

Offshore cold-rolled (CR) coil remains cheaper than domestic product. The gap continues to tighten, however, as US CR coil prices slip to a nine-month low. Domestic CR coil tags averaged $960 per short ton (st) in our check of the market on Tuesday, July 9, down $5/st from the week before. CR tags are now […]