Tag: Trump

Even before the news about Mexico, I didn’t want to overstate the magnitude of the change in momentum. As far as we could tell, there hadn’t been a frenzy of new ordering following President Trump’s announcement of 50% Section 232 tariffs. But higher tariffs had unquestionably raised prices for imports, which typically provide the floor for domestic pricing. We’d heard, for example, that prices below $800 per short ton for hot-rolled (HR) coil were gone from the domestic market – even for larger buyers.

Domestic hot-rolled coil prices edged up marginally this week, while offshore prices ticked down.

Timna Tanners, managing director of equity research for Wolfe Research, will be the featured speaker on the next SMU Community Chat. The webinar will be on Wednesday, June 11, at 11 am ET. It’s free to attend.

I think there is an obvious case for sheet and plate prices going higher from here. That’s because, on a very basic level, the floor for flat-rolled steel prices, which is typically provided by imports, is now significantly higher than it was a week ago.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening signed a proclamation that officially doubled Section 232 tariffs on imported steel and aluminum from 25% to 50%. There was one exception: Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum from the United Kingdom will remain at 25%, according to a fact sheet published by the White House.

Cleveland-Cliffs Chairman, President and CEO Lourenco Goncalves offered full-throated support for Section 232 tariffs on imported steel being doubled to 50%. And the top executive of the Cleveland-based steelmaker said the steel industry wanted to see as few exceptions as possible to the tariffs.

Meanwhile, several US trade groups applauded the latest trade announcement.

Section 232 tariffs of 50% on imported steel will go into effect on Wednesday with few exceptions, according to a top White House official.

Briefing on the stay motion will be completed by June 9. If a stay pending appeal is granted, it will likely remain in effect until the Court of Appeals issues a decision, which could be months in the future. The case is almost certain to be appealed to the Supreme Court.

At a rally celebrating a “planned partnership” between U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel, President Trump announced higher tariffs on steel and aluminum imports into the United States, and revealed few more details on Nippon’s investment in USS’ operations.

Timna Tanners, managing director of equity research for Wolfe Research, will be the featured speaker on the next SMU Community Chat. Timna has coined Sheet Storm, Galv Galore, and Rebarmageddon. Her forecasts and insights are always though provoking. And she’s not afraid to speak her mind. So it's no surprise that she's one of our most popular guests!

International trade attorneys discuss court decisions this week that left many importers, manufacturers, and even casual observers wondering: What’s next?

The “on again, off again” Trump tariff train continues to chug along, with several important court rulings this week.

I sort of expected big news last Friday and over the long, Memorial Day weekend. Because that's become more the norm than the exception for steel this year. Sure enough, Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday afternoon that he had given his blessing to a “partnership” between Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel. And then over the weekend we had market moving new on tariffs, this time involving the EU.

The European Union is fast-tracking trade negotiations with the US in the hope of avoiding the 50% tariffs threatened by President Trump.

The US government could acquire a stake in U.S. Steel as part of Nippon Steel’s $14-billion deal for the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker, according to various media reports. The Trump administration sees Washington, D.C., acquiring a “golden share” as part of the deal, according to an article in Kyodo News on Tuesday. This would give the US […]

Trump threatens EU with 50% tariff starting June 1.

The CFIUS report is in, but what it contains remains unknown.

Zekelman is known for his straight talk. And his company is one of the largest steel buyers in North America. So he’s got a better eye than most on steel market developments.

For those who don’t know, we have a monthly scrap survey. It’s very similar to our industry-leading flat-rolled steel survey. We cover market trends, pricing, and sentiment – which helps us keep our finger on the pulse of the scrap market. One thing we’ve learned lately from our surveys here at SMU: The lack of […]

The UK deal may signal relaxation of the heaviest tariffs. The suspension of the reciprocal tariffs greater than 10% - remember, 57 countries were hit with that - ends on July 9. But it could be extended. If more deals like the one with the UK are struck, the suspensions may continue to permit more agreements - relieving global markets of considerable worry.

Cliffs came tantalizing close to buying U.S. Steel in 2023. There were rumors in 2024 that Cliffs might buy NLMK USA before it ultimately purchased Stelco for $2.5 billion in November of last year. Who would have thought that asset sales would have been the focal point of discussion just six months later?

The US and UK governments have announced a trade deal in which an “alternative” to the Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs will be provided.

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. gushed red ink in the first quarter, and pledged to stem the bleeding by idling inefficient, “loss-making operations” and increasing focus on its core automotive business.

Mercedes-Benz is planning to move production of a “core segment vehicle” to Tuscaloosa, Ala., by 2027.

AMU’s Greg Wittbecker, an aluminum industry veteran, will address not only US tariffs but also evolving trade routes - and how supply chains are (or aren’t) adjusting. He’ll also touch on broader industrial impacts, from auto layoffs to the potential ripple effect of maritime tax policies.

The tariffs are intended to produce more investment and jobs in US manufacturing. But first, there will be a cosmic change, potentially wiping out millions of jobs in the short run. While administration officials will no doubt cringe at the comparison, it reminds me of the effort to undercut fossil fuels production to address climate change. Led by Democrats, the effort was to destroy fossil fuels so that renewable energy sources would have more space to grow. The result: inflation and electoral defeat in 2024.

Nucor’s top exec Leon Topalian said the benefit of the current administration’s aggressive trade policies “trumps” any risk of potentially higher raw materials prices.

It's just the latest change for US trade policy

President Trump cast a wide net with the proposed, reciprocal tariffs. The negotiating stage will be critical to determining the success of his strategy. And for those suffering tariff whiplash, don’t expect the pace of change to slow down just because the reciprocal tariffs are entering a negotiating phase.