Contributor: David Schollaert

More than three-quarters of US metro areas added construction jobs year-over-year (YoY) through January, according to Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) figures. Despite the employment boost, construction firms struggled to find enough qualified workers to hire, the report said. The report cautioned that projects may stall or be canceled altogether if contractors lack an […] The post AGC: Most Cities Added Construction Jobs in January appeared first on Steel Market Update.

Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc. said its fourth quarter ended Aug. 31 results were negatively impacted by declining ferrous and nonferrous sales prices and demand. The trend partially offsets the benefits of strong prices for its finished steel products. Tighter supply flows and an extended outage at its Everett, Mass., recycling facility were partly to blame […] The post Schnitzer: Near Record Annual Results Despite Falling Prices appeared first on Steel Market Update.

Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) has completed its acquisition of Mexican ferrous and nonferrous scrap recycler Roca Acero SA de CV. The Fort Wayne, Ind.-based EAF steelmaker did not disclose the purchase price but said the deal was paid for in cash. “Combined with our existing metals recycling facilities in Mexico, the addition of Roca significantly […] The post SDI Completes Purchase of Mexican Recycler Roca Acero appeared first on Steel Market Update.

US plate prices fell this week, responding to Nucor’s latest price announcement on Monday, Sept. 19. Price tags remain under pressure and further declines are expected through the fourth quarter as spot demand is likely to remain limited. But few expect Nucor’s latest plate price announcement to generate any immediate business, sources told SMU, speculating […] The post Plate Market Report: Prices Fall, More Easing Expected appeared first on Steel Market Update.

US plate prices were unchanged this past week but remain under pressure. Spot demand is limited, with sources noting that Nucor’s efforts to keep prices flat might be short-lived. Recall that Nucor announced it would keep some plate prices flat and decrease certain cut-to-length items as much as $150 per ton ($7.50 per cwt) with the […] The post Plate Market Report: Prices Hold for Now, Decreases Expected appeared first on Steel Market Update.

The transformation the steel industry has undergone has been accelerated over the past 18-24 months, with even greater dynamics underway, said a panel of steel executives and analysts during the first day of Steel Market Update’s 2022 Steel Summit conference in Atlanta, Ga. Demand trajectories across regions are diverging, finished steel consumption in China is […] The post The Global Steel Industry: A Reshaping is Underway appeared first on Steel Market Update.

US plate prices edged down marginally this week, declining for the third straight week. The easing was driven by a tightening of the range, though sources feel pricing has flattened. The repeated declines are not exactly a surprise given plate prices have been holding an unsustainable premium over coil, while buying remains strategic and mainly hand-to-mouth. […] The post Plate Market Report: Prices Down Marginally, Demand Unchanged appeared first on Steel Market Update.

US plate prices edged down again this week after seeing their largest decline in nearly five years the week prior. The latest declines are not exactly a surprise given plate prices had been holding an unsustainable premium over coil and buying has been largely hand-to-mouth. But the straw that broke the camel’s back might just […] The post Plate Market Report: Prices Slip Again, Direction Still Not Clear appeared first on Steel Market Update.

US plate prices were largely unchanged this week, but probably not for long now that Nucor has significantly lowered plate prices with the opening of its September plate order book. The move came after Nucor in early July kept prices flat with the opening of its August order book. Discrete plate prices, as well as prices […] The post Plate Market Report: Is There a Chink in the Price Armor? appeared first on Steel Market Update.

US plate prices have been holding steady and bucking the downtrend presently seen across sheet and coated products. Plate demand has remained largely steady, while buyers have maintained lean inventories, only taking volumes to fill gaps. The price dynamic has led to historically high premiums over hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices. Presently, plate prices are more […] The post Plate Market Report: Delta Unsustainable, Bound to Fall appeared first on Steel Market Update.