Tag: steel

Most steelmaking raw material prices we track saw little change across the month of August. Iron ore, pig iron, shredded scrap, busheling scrap, zinc, and aluminum prices all held relatively steady,

SMU’s Steel Buyers’ Sentiment Indices moved in opposing directions this week. Our Current Steel Buyers’ Sentiment Index dropped to one of the lowest levels recorded in over five years, while Future Buyers’ Sentiment inched higher.

The majority of steel buyers responding to our market survey this week continue to say that mills are negotiable on new spot order prices. Negotiation rates have remained high since May.

The Commerce Department has added over 400 HTS codes to the list of steel and aluminum derivative products covered under the Section 232 tariffs.

Hot-rolled (HR) coil prices in the US declined again last week, while offshore prices ticked higher again week over week (w/w).

The latest SMU Community Chat webinar reply featuring Lewis Leibowitz, trade attorney and SMU columnist, is now available on our website to all members.

Both SMU Sentiment Indices continue to show that buyers remain optimistic for their company’s chances of success, though far less confident than they felt earlier in the year.

SMU’s August ferrous scrap market survey results are now available on our website to all premium members.

Several EU member states have published a ‘non-paper’ that puts forward proposals for a post-safeguard trade measure.

Canada’s Algoma Steel saw a sharp loss in the second quarter amid a continued challenging market environment and “tariff uncertainties.”

Nucor reported a sharp sequential rebound in the second quarter, buoyed by improved pricing and strong shipments. But the steelmaker is bracing for a modest slowdown in the months ahead.

SMU’s Steel Buyers’ Sentiment Indices eased this week, both approaching multi-year lows.

More than nine out of every ten steel buyers polled by SMU this week reported that mills are negotiable on new order prices. Negotiation rates have increased in each of our last three surveys following the early-June lull, reaching a record high this week.

Reliance Inc. reported record second-quarter tonnages, with 1.62 million tons sold in the second quarter of 2025, a 4% increase year over year (y/y).

The latest SMU Community Chat webinar reply featuring Tom Derry of the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), is now available on our website to all members.

SMU’s Mill Order Index (MOI) rebounded in June after declining for three straight months. The gain complemented a modest boost in service center shipments for the month, according to our latest service center inventories data.

Chinese steel export prices are expected to rise and support prices across most of Asia in the coming month. In Europe, buyers are likely to frontload import orders ahead of CBAM imposition, while new trade agreements are likely to emerge in the US. Steel prices in the APAC are expected to rise, except in India […]

The volume of finished steel entering the US market remained elevated in May, in line with April figures, according to SMU’s analysis of Department of Commerce and American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) data

US sheet and plate prices were flat or lower as reduced import volumes were offset by so-so demand.

US steel exports rose 10% from April to May but remained low compared to recent years. This came just one month after exports fell to the lowest level recorded in nearly five years.

Business activity in New York state recovered slightly in July, with the Empire State Manufacturing Index seeing its first positive reading in four months.

Mining metals analyst Timna Tanners has joined Wells Fargo as managing director of equity research, according to a post on her LinkedIn profile.

US oil and gas drilling activity continued to decline for the 11th consecutive week, while Canadian counts climbed for the sixth week in a row, according to the latest data from Baker Hughes.

Mill lead times for sheet products were steady to slightly longer this week compared to our late June market check, while plate lead times contracted, according to steel buyers responding to this week’s market survey.

Domestic mills are more open to talk price on new orders than they were in June, according to most steel buyers responding to our market survey this week. Negotiation rates have recovered from the early-June lull and are now just a few percentage points shy of the high levels seen late last year.

Following one of the lowest levels seen in more than two years, US steel imports rebounded from April to May. However, trade remains low relative to recent years. Preliminary license data suggests another fall in June.

US mills shipped slightly less steel in May than in April, according to the latest figures from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).

Sheet and plate prices were little changed in the shortened week ahead of Independence Day, according to SMU’s latest check of the market.

The owner of Liberty Steel and his family were among the six victims of a plane crash in Ohio on Sunday, according to local media reports.

CRU analysts Thais Terzian and Frank Nikolic will be the featured guests on the next SMU Community Chat on Wednesday, July 9, at 11 am ET. The live webinar is free for anyone to attend. A recording will be available to SMU subscribers.