By CRU Principal Analyst Erik Hedborg, from CRU’s Steelmaking Raw Materials Monitor, Dec. 21 Iron ore prices have continued to rise in the past week, a typical year-end development observed in recent years. This is the time when steelmakers start building iron ore stocks in anticipation of restricted transportation of ore from ports to mills […]
By Greg Wittbecker, Advisor, CRU Group Legislation passed Dec. 16 by the Senate and now on its way to the White House will all but ban imports connected at any point in the supply chain to materials from China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. However well justified by human rights, this ban will be a challenge for […]
New to the industry or want to learn more? The Steel 101 team is here to help! Steel Market Update’s Steel 101: Introduction to Steelmaking & Market Fundamentals workshop has been helping businesses empower their employees (from entry level to C-suite executives) for well over a decade. It’s sound advice to invest in your staff’s […]
By CRU Principal Analyst Josh Spoores, from CRU’s Steel Monitor, Dec. 15 Seasonal pressures are starting to temporarily slow demand for some steel products. For sheet, this weakness is adding to a monumental shift in supply fundamentals. For other products, an unseasonably warm start to December has allowed construction demand to remain stronger than normal. […]
By Greg Wittbecker, Advisor, CRU Group It’s that time of year when we start looking ahead as we put the current year in our “rear view mirror.” Here are some of the things that I circulated to the CRU Aluminum Analysis team for consideration among our “top calls for 2022.” These are not officially “blessed,” […]
We are quickly coming up to the Christmas and New Year’s Holidays. I hope everyone has been able to complete whatever shopping you need to do, sent out your cards and notes to your family and friends, and have ample snacks to get you through New Year’s Eve gatherings, football games, board or card games, […]
The temptation to purchase foreign hot rolled remains high, with potential discounts of 22-40% compared to domestic steel. However, U.S. HRC prices are now declining at a greater rate than foreign prices, narrowing the gap, according to Steel Market Update’s latest domestic and foreign steel price comparison. Foreign hot rolled steel prices are now theoretically $373-673 per ton cheaper […]
By Greg Wittbecker, Advisor, CRU Group The massing of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine has raised tensions to a high level on the political scene. It forces us to take another look at the repercussions of new sanctions on the Russian state should Putin decide to invade. 2018 Repeated? In March 2018, sanctions […]
Editor’s note: SMU Contributor David Feldstein is president of Rock Trading Advisors. Rock provides customers attached to the steel industry with commodity price risk management services and market intelligence. RTA is registered with the National Futures Association as a Commodity Trade Advisor. David has over 20 years of professional trading experience and has been active […]
By CRU Senior Analyst Ryan McKinley, from CRU’s Steel Metallics Monitor , Dec. 8 The CRU metallics price indicator (CRUmpi) was little changed m/m in December at 401.6 after expectations of another price increase for metallics were dampened by weaker-than-expected demand. Supply is becoming seasonally scarcer in some markets. But, in our view, weakness in […]
By CRU Senior Analyst Ryan McKinley, from CRU’s Steel Sheet Products Monitor, Jan. 5 Sheet prices fell in most markets around the world as supply availability grew. In the USA, market participants report that end users are cancelling or postponing orders, which has led to an even greater build up in inventory levels and caused […]
The 33rd Tampa Steel Conference will be live and in-person as we return to the Marriott Water Street Hotel in Tampa, Fla. The conference dates are Feb. 14 (networking opportunities and first day of Introduction to Hedging Workshop), Feb. 15 (golf outing, boat tour, and hedging workshop in the morning followed by the beginning of the […]
The 33rd Tampa Steel Conference will be live and in-person as we return to the Marriott Water Street Hotel in Tampa, Fla. The conference dates are Feb. 14 (networking opportunities and first day of Introduction to Hedging Workshop), Feb. 15 (golf outing, boat tour, and hedging workshop in the morning followed by the beginning of the […]
We are delighted to announce that the next Introduction to Steel Hedging: Managing Price Risk course will run LIVE and in-person on Feb. 14-15, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. alongside the Tampa Steel Conference. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet face-to-face with our expert instructors to gain a thorough introduction to hedging in the flat rolled steel market, and to take advantage of the live […]
By CRU Chief Economist and Head of Sustainability Jumana Saleheen and CRU Principal Economist Alex Tuckett, from CRU’s Economic Outlook, Nov. 30 Global Economic Outlook November 2022 In this Global Economic Outlook, we look ahead to 2022 and outline our top 10 calls for the global economy. These include predictions on world growth, inflation, exchange […]
By Greg Wittbecker, Advisor, CRU Group Andy Grove, the former CEO of Intel, wrote a classic business book, “Only the Paranoid Survive.” One of the simple messages of that great read was to always pay attention to your competition. It’s for that reason, we thought it useful to update you on some of Alcoa’s recent […]
By CRU Analyst Tanya Bhaiji, from CRU’s Steel Sheet Products Monitor, Nov. 29 Galvanized sheet is the biggest first use for refined zinc, constituting around 30% of total refined zinc demand in 2020. The majority of galvanized sheet is consumed in end-use sectors such as construction and automotive while a smaller percentage is also consumed in […]
By CRU Senior Analyst Ryan McKinley, from CRU’s Steel Long Products Monitor, Dec. 1 Long product prices again moved higher in the USA m/m following a larger-than-expected scrap price increase and unseasonably strong demand. Mill-announced price increases for wire rod were the largest at $80 /s.ton m/m, while merchant bar and beam prices were also […]
By CRU Research Analyst Aaron Kearney-Keaveny from CRU’s Steelmaking Raw Materials Monitor Dec. 7 Iron ore remained largely stable in the past week, before rising noticeably on Monday and Tuesday, now standing at $108.0 /dmt. Supply is rising and demand seems stable, but speculation around China has resulted in the iron ore price rising yet […]
Foreign steel prices continue to tempt U.S. buyers with potential discounts of 24-43% over domestic steel, according to Steel Market Update’s latest comparison of domestic and foreign hot rolled steel prices. Foreign hot rolled steel prices are now theoretically $430-761 per ton cheaper than domestic steel, after taking freight costs, trader margins and tariffs into consideration. […]
Sometimes it is the little things that provide hints as to the direction steel prices will take. During our Steel 101 workshops, I use the example of when you hear from that steel salesman on what seems like a daily basis – that’s when you know a market is about to turn (or has turned). […]
Sometimes it is the little things that provide hints as to the direction steel prices will take. During our Steel 101 workshops, I use the example of when you hear from that steel salesman on what seems like a daily basis – that’s when you know a market is about to turn (or has turned). […]
By CRU Principal Analyst Matthew Watkins and Analyst Iris Speelmanns, part of CRU’s steel and the energy transition series When we think about hydrogen and steel, we generally focus on steel supply. Hydrogen is a possible alternate reductant, replacing coke and offering a pathway to low-CO2 steel production. But a hydrogen economy could also be a huge […]
December ferrous scrap prices are expected to trade sideways or up slightly after a surprise jump higher in November, Steel Market Update sources said. “December scrap is likely to move sideways, particularly for sales done at the higher end of the November range. For sales at the lower end, a $10-20 per ton ‘catch-up’ increase […]
By CRU Steel Analyst Tiago Vespoli, from CRU’s Steel Sheet Products Monitor, Nov. 17 There is a high probability that the weather phenomenon La Niña will start at end-November, which could have serious consequences for the steel supply chain, depending on the severity of the event. Some expected impacts include increased rainfall in Australia and […]
By CRU Economist Frank Eich and Sustainability Analyst Huan Chang, Nov. 22 The COP26 was heralded as a “moment of truth” in the race against climate change. In addition to the expected announcements, such as those on finance, there were also some unexpected ones, such as the pledges from the Indian government to address climate […]
By Greg Wittbecker, Advisor, CRU Group Prices are higher…. why aren’t we seeing more aluminum production? One of the most natural questions being asked in the world of aluminum is “with LME prices up so much year on year, why aren’t we seeing more capacity coming back to life?” It IS an appropriate question and […]
By CRU Senior Prices Analyst Estelle Tran, from CRU’s Global Steel Trade Service, Nov. 18 In the last several weeks, U.S. sheet prices have started to decline, though prices remain well above global prices. Under pressure from imports and service centers eager to sell high-cost inventory before the end of the year, prices for processed […]
By CRU Principal Analyst Matthew Watkins, from CRU’s Global Steel Trade Service, Nov. 18 There was a big price collapse in China over the past month. HR coil export prices have fallen by 13% since October and rebar is down by 10% in the same period. For HR coil, this means that China has returned […]
Steel industry legend Peter Marcus died unexpectedly overnight following a brief illness. As word of his death spread across the steel industry, people reached out to SMU not only with memories of the man but also of the forecasts that made him famous (some would say infamous). “Peter Marcus was the ultimate scholar of the […]