The move injects fresh volatility into a US aluminum market already navigating a complex, stop/start cycle of protectionism, tepid demand across multiple end sectors, and cautious buying behavior.The tariff escalation came during a rally where Trump promoted the Nippon Steel-U.S. Steel deal and doubled down on his “America First” manufacturing mantra. While the focus was … Read more

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) has named four new members to its board of directors. The board has elected Clive Grannum, CEO of North American Stainless; Rick Marabito, CEO of Olympic Steel; Guillermo “Willy” Moreno, president, USA, of Tenaris; and Barry Zekelman, executive chairman and CEO of Zekelman Industries.  “Clive, Rick, Willy, and Barry are strong … Read more

US raw steel production rose again last week, climbing to the highest weekly output recorded since last September, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). For the week ending May 31, domestic steel mills produced an estimated 1,757,000 short tons (st) of raw steel (Figure 1). Production increased 13,000 tons, or 0.7%, from … Read more

May marks the third consecutive month US manufacturing activity declined, according to supply executives contributing to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM)’s latest report.  The ISM Manufacturing PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) stood at 48.5% in May, a decrease of 0.2 percentage points from 48.7% in April.   A reading higher than 50% indicates the manufacturing economy … Read more

A US Department of Commerce (Commerce) review found no South Korean oil country tubular goods (OCTG) exporters or producers sold products below market value, according to a May 30 update to the Federal Register.  Additionally, the department found no shipments of OCTG products entered the US during period of review, ranging from September 2022 through … Read more

Nucor halted a four-week decline in its spot price for hot-rolled (HR) coil this week, maintaining its weekly consumer spot price (CSP) at the same level as last week. The steelmaker informed customers on Monday morning its HR base price for this week is $870 per short ton (st). This week’s price is flat compared … Read more

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has added metallurgical coal to the nation’s list of “Critical Materials”. The move follows met coal’s designation as such in announcement by US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on May 22. The details are spelled out in May 29 entry in the Federal Register. Met coal is defined as … Read more

The reaction was interesting: Some stories apparently noticed the court for the first time. (“What is the Court of International Trade anyway?”) Experienced hands know the court very well. A high-stakes legal fight over Trump’s IEEPA tariffs The next day, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia entered a preliminary injunction against the … Read more

CRU assessed that the US Midwest delivered premium decreased to 18.5¢/lb in May, down 0.5¢/lb from April. Downward pressure on the US premium persisted due to weakness in key consuming sectors, while refined supply held steady. Some zinc consumers reported that zinc demand in April and May was 5% to 15% lower than in the … Read more

The Chicago Business Barometer reports that decreases in new orders, order backlogs, and softer production pulled the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) down by 4.1-points to 40.5 in May. The index is at its lowest level since January, and May marks the 18th month below 50. Increases in supplier deliveries and employment brightened the report, according … Read more