Earnings reports are accompanied by conference calls which allow us to get some insight on what the steel leaders are thinking about in the industry. SMU decided to look at the comments by AK Steel, Nucor, Steel Dynamics, and US Steel for ideas on where the steel industry is headed for 2014. All four of […]
Steel buyers reported a mixed bag this week with some mills quoting extremely long lead times (hot rolled at 6-8 weeks) while others were still willing to discuss pricing in early February if a reasonable order was connected to the competitive quotation. One service center executive told us about mill lead times, “USS is in […]
Mario Longhi, CEO of U.S. Steel announced to those on the US Steel conference call that the company has started the process of replacing the existing blast furnace at the Fairfield, Alabama facility with a brand new electric arc furnace (EAF). During the call, Mr. Longhi advised that the expect the permitting process to take […]
US Steel reported a net loss of $122 million for the fourth quarter of 2013, compared to a Q3 net loss of $1,791 million and $50 million net loss in Q4 2012. The fourth quarter loss was due mostly to $302 million of charges related to the shutdown of the Hamilton steel making facility. Adjusted […]
US Steel Canada announced on Friday several executive management changes that will go into effect on Feb. 1. Michael A. McQuade will succeed Anton Jura as President and General manager of US Steel Canada. Anton Jura will take on a new assignment in US Steel’s flat rolled operations in the United States. McQuade currently serves […]
In the 12 months through November the US imported 29,129,427 tons of all steel products including semi finished, exported 11,594,574 tons for a net steel trade deficit of 17,534,853 tons. The major net importer was Brazil with 3,591,401 tons. Canada and Mexico both imported more from the US than they exported to the US resulting […]
The Federal Reserve publishes a trade weighted index of the value of the US$ against a basket of the currencies of our major trading partners weekly and monthly. The H.10 weekly release contains daily rates of exchange of major foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar. The data are noon buying rates in New York for […]
November steel export data indicates total US steel exports were 939,185 net tons (NT) for the month of November 2013, the lowest levels seen since December 2010 when exports were 934,471 NT. Total November steel trade to countries outside of the United States is down 17.1 percent compared to October levels and down 6.0 percent […]
USS-POSCO (UPI) in Pittsburg, California, filed a layoff warning with the California Economic Development Department (CED) that created concern that 690 employees would be laid off effective January 14, 2014. USS-POSCO says media reports of a layoff were in error. A spokesperson for USS-POSCO said the company has “no imminent plans to lay off any employees […]
Ferrous scrap prices are expected to rise as we enter the New Year. Early indications are for scrap prices to make a rather serious move as cold weather sets into the North, further reducing already weak flows of the material into the scrap yards. Prices are forecast to move a minimum of $20-$30 per gross […]
In a letter to their customers dated today, Monday, December 23, 2013 – NLMK USA opened their February order book and advised their customers of their “minimum” new base price levels: Hot Rolled $35.00/cwt ($700 per ton)Cold Rolled $40.50/cwt ($810 per ton)Coated $40.50/cwt ($810 per ton)Specialty $25/ton increase on all high […]
A Christmas Eve start-up of the Nucor direct reduced iron (DRI) facility in St. Louis Parish, Louisiana, came off without a hitch. Within 24 hours the output quality matched best-in-class levels of Nucor’s Trinidad plant, said the company. “We are very pleased to announce this important step in executing our raw materials strategy,” said John […]
On Monday U.S. Steel put out a letter to their customers announcing a $20 per ton flat rolled spot price increase. The letter was from RY Kopf, General Manager North American Flat-Rolled Marketing and it read as follows: Effective immediately, base pricing for all new Flat-rolled products spot orders is increased by a minimum of […]
U.S. Steel announced a price increase on Monday and the market appears to be cautiously optimistic as we enter the end of 2013 and look out into the New Year. The announcement itself was termed a “non-event” by one of the construction related steel mills with whom we spoke this afternoon as increases had previously […]
An explosion and fire at the US Steel Great Lakes Works in Ecorse, Mich., has killed a worker and halted steel production. The Ecorse fire department was called to the scene of the fire at 2:50 am on Sunday morning. US Steel spokesman Courtney Boone said that the explosion occurred at the plant’s steel shop […]
US Steel announced the election by the board of directors of David S. Sutherland to the position of independent, non-executive chairman effective Jan. 1, 2014. Sutherland will replace executive chairman John Surma who will retire on Dec. 31. US Steel split the roles of CEO and chairman when Mario Longhi succeeded Surma as CEO in […]
Last week I discussed how Steel Mills calculate thickness and width extras. This week we will look at Mill coating extras for Galvanized and Galvalume coated steel coil. I am going to refer again to US Steel’s published list of price extras which you can find on their website. Other mills tend to have similar […]
ThyssenKrupp AG put out a press release late this afternoon postponing their annual financial statements which were originally scheduled for this Thursday, November 21st. The reason being provided is the company is involved in “..exclusive negotiations on the potential sale of the US steel plant in Calvert/Alabama (ThyssenKrupp Steel USA). The talks also include a […]
US Steel reported a net loss of $1.79 billion for the third quarter due primarily to a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $1.8 billion. Net loss for the quarter excluding the impairment charge totaled $20 million, compared to a net loss of$78 million the previous quarter, and profit of $44 million in Q3 2012. The […]
There has been great speculation and anticipation regarding the sale of the ThyssenKrupp Steel Americas steel mills since the parent company announced it was offering the plants for sale over one year ago. The Americas operations consist of the Calvert, Alabama facility as well as the CSA fully integrated slab mill with its two blast […]
The Federal Reserve publishes a trade weighted index of the value of the US$ (dollar) against a basket of the currencies of our major trading partners on a daily and monthly basis. As a result of the government shut-down we don’t have the very latest data for this index. The latest data we do have […]
US Steel announced management changes in the company’s raw materials and procurement organizations last week. Scott Conley will succeed Marc Stoken on Oct. 1 as general manager—raw materials. Stoken is retiring after 37 years with US Steel. Conley began his US Steel career in 1987 as an associate programmer in Pittsburgh and worked in purchasing […]
With a turnout of 79 percent of the membership on Friday, USW Local 8782 voted by a 57 percent margin to accept the contract offered by US Steel. Ratification of the contract ends a contentious battle between the Lake Erie Works union and US Steel and will get Canadian steel production rolling once again. In […]
United Steelworkers (USW) Local 8782 is due to vote on a contract proposal on Friday that may end the long standoff between U.S. Steel and union employees at Lake Erie Works. Union members at Lake Erie Works have been locked out since April 28 after rejecting at that time a second and final contract offer […]
Severstal NA revenue for Q2 rose to $953 million from $930 million in the first quarter 2013. Demand growth was led by U.S. automotive, construction and pipe and tube industries. First half 2013 revenue, however, fell to $1,883 million from $2,158 million in H1 2012—a 12.7 percent loss. Severstal reported a utilization rate of almost […]
Currency update August 22nd 2013. The Federal Reserve publishes a trade weighted index of the value of the US dollar against a basket of the currencies of our major trading partners on a daily and monthly basis. This is referred to as the Broad Index. The Broad Index appreciated strongly in the 3rd Quarter of […]
Mario Longhi is faced with the daunting task of rebuilding a US Steel afflicted with financial difficulties and labor problems under former CEO John Surma. US Steel has lost money in five of the past seven quarters, most recently $78 million in the second quarter of 2013. When the mantle is passed on September 1, […]
USW Local 8782 and US Steel have concluded negotiations in Pittsburgh but rumors have been rampant about what kind of deal, if any, has been made to resolve the lockout that has been ongoing at Lake Erie Works since April 28. At least two media sources have said that the executive committee is not […]
The three month moving average of global production in July was unchanged from June at an annual rate of 1.596 billion tons. Capacity utilization was 77.5 percent (Figure 1). For the July data, the World Steel Association increased the global capacity to 2.06 billion tons which reduced the capacity utilization value back to Q3 last […]
Surma to Step Aside on September 1st US Steel’s Board of Directors has elected Mario Longhi as chief executive officer effective Sept. 1. Longhi will succeed John Surma who will retain the position of executive chairman until his retirement from the company December 31. “In the tradition of the U. S. Steel CEOs who have […]