For the 12 months ending February 2018, U.S. mill shipments of long products increased by 6.2% year on year, (y/y). U.S. domestic consumption of long products increased by 0.1% over the same timeframe. Import share of long products averaged 18.4% over the past 12 months, down from 22.4% for the 12 months ending February 2017. [...]
The pace of U.S. economic growth accelerated in February as the CFNAI surged by 0.88, up from a +0.02 rise in January. On a three month moving average, (3MMA) basis the CFNAI was higher by +0.37. This was the sixth consecutive month of positive readings. There were strong contributions from the production and income component [...]
Worldsteel Association (WSA) reports that global crude steel production totaled 131.791 million tonnes (Mt) at a capacity utilization rate, (CUR) of 73.3% in February. Production was down by 13.07 Mt month on month but the CUR was up 0.5 percentage points over January. According to WSA, global excess capacity was substantially reduced by month on [...]
The Consumer confidence index rolled-back 2.3 points in March according to the Conference Board. The index now stands at 127.7. Despite the decline, the index remains at elevated levels with a positive trend line. Businesses report being somewhat more pessimistic about current conditions as expectations fell across the board. On the other-hand, the labor market [...]
The U.S. Census Bureau reported yesterday that; new orders for durable goods orders gained 3.1% month on month, (m/m) in February, good news after the disappointing 3.5% decline in January. The always volatile nondefense aircraft orders, adding 25.5% m/m. Orders in the important core capital goods segment rose 1.8% m/m, the largest increase since September. [...]
For all of 2017, Beam final imports to the U.S. were down 4.3% year on year (y/y), totaling 534,488 tons. For the month of January, Beam imports totaled 20,887 tons down 49% from last January’s total of 40,987 tons. Year to date, (YTD) wide flange beams accounted for 71% of total beam imports, while standard [...]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest data, housing starts fell by 7.0% month on month, (m/m) in February to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of 1,236,000 units. This figure was down 90,000 from January’s SAAR of 1,326,000 units. On a year on year, (y/y) basis, starts were exactly flat at 1,236,000. On a [...]
For all of 2018, Rebar final imports to the U.S. were down 25.8% year on year (y/y), totaling 1,566,308 tons. January rebar imports were 95,805 tons, 56.8% lower than January 2017 volume of 221,968 tons. Year to date, (YTD) straight length rebar accounted for 98.3% of the total imports, “other rebar” made up the balance. [...]
Merchant final imports to the U.S. were up 1.2% in 2017, year on year (y/y), totaling 541,630 tons for the twelve months ending December 2017. January merchant imports came in at 37,527 tons, 28.1% less than the 52,203 ton volume in January 2017. There are thirteen HTS codes that combine to total our definition of [...]
SBQ final imports to the U.S. were up 27.4% in 2017, year on year (y/y), totaling 570,523 tons for the twelve months ending December 2017. January 2018 SBQ imports came in at tons, 39,926 or 5.0% lower than the 42,025 ton January 2017 volume. There are nineteen HTS codes that contribute to our definition of [...]