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Steel Success Strategies Coverage
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SSS 2020: Mills eye different growth strategies
With so much uncertainty regarding the macro environment for steel consumption and prospects for tepid demand growth, US and Canadian mills are vying for a bigger piece of the pie...
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SSS 2020: Four things we learned about European steel
Four things that we learned during the European Steel Panel on the first day of Steel Success Strategies.
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SSS 2020: Five things learned from the EV/AV markets
The electric vehicle (EV) and autonomous vehicle (AV) markets will have a large impact on the automotive industry and there are technological advances happening in steel that could contribute to...
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SSS 2020: Capitalizing on digital technology
When it comes to machine learning, computer vision, data analytics and artificial intelligence, the steel industry faces challenges in achieving a measurable and permanent return on investment, panelists said during...
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SSS 2020: Volatility spurs opportunities for ferrous hedging - panel
The steel industry will see greater adoption of steel and ferrous scrap derivatives - futures and options - in response to increased price volatility and uncertainty about world events, risk-management...
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SSS 2020: Gerdau bullish on North America, Brazil growth potential
Both the North American and Brazilian markets have strong growth potential stemming from infrastructure-related activity, Gerdau’s global chief financial officer Harley Scardoelli told attendees at Fastmarkets' 2020 Steel Success Strategies...
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SSS 2020: More steel, fewer workers will be needed in future
Thirty years from now, the global steel industry will likely use more briquetted iron products and scrap and hardly any steelworkers, executives said during the "Steel Industry 2050" panel at...
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SSS 2020: M&A said likely to rebound next year
Merger-and-acquisition activity in the metals sector should pick up in 2021, Vince Pappalardo, managing partner of Brown Gibbons Lang & Co, told attendees during Fastmarkets' 2020 Steel Success Strategies Online...
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SSS 2020: Steel industry must do more to innovate, Tata Steel says
The steel industry must innovate further and look to other sectors for solutions, Tata Steel chief executive TV Narendran said during Fastmarkets’ Steel Success Strategies 2020 virtual conference on Wednesday...
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SSS 2020: EAFs to fill void left by integrated mills
Steel Dynamics Inc (SDI) isn’t worried about a flood of new flat-rolled electric-arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking capacity because it will be offset by the closure of older integrated mills, the...
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SSS 2020: SDI Texas EAF targets exposed auto
Steel Dynamics Inc’s (SDI) new $1.9-billion flat-rolled steel mill in Sinton, Texas, could be the first electric-arc furnace (EAF) facility to produce exposed-grade automotive material, the company’s top executive said.
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SSS 2020: India steel growth rate to continue rise but 2030 output forecast unlikely - Tata Steel
India will miss its forecast steel targets in 2030, but the sector should continue to grow on increased government spending, Tata Steel chief executive T.V.
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SSS 2020: GFG eyes consolidation, green steel
With so much uncertainty regarding the macro environment for steel consumption and prospects for tepid demand growth, US and Canadian mills are vying for a bigger piece of the pie...
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Prices & Trends
An interesting event in 2020: US HRC price dips below the China HRC price
Senior Price Reporter, Michael Cowden, talks about what happened in July & August around the US, European and Chinese HRC price and how the US market might or will recover going into fall 2020.
A comprehensive look at the US steel flat-rolled market
US Steel flat-rolled products for the week of November 16, 2020
Fastmarkets’ daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $36.31 per hundredweight ($726.20 per short ton) on Tuesday November 17, little-changed from $36.35 per cwt on Monday November 16 but 2.4% higher than $35.46 per cwt one week ago on November 10.
Inputs were received in a range of $34.50-37.50 per cwt.
Heard in the market
Lead times were reported to be into late January or February 2021.
For the first time, sources stated that the shortage of spot availability for approximately the next two months - or longer - is beginning to slow down manufacturing activity in the United States, because distributors and steel consumers cannot procure enough tonnage to satisfy orders from their downstream customers. Mills are even putting a lid on contract volumes by holding those buyers to a minimum or placing them on allocation.
The root of the problem is the reduction in production capacity at the sheet mills earlier this year, in the face of the current strong demand from the automotive industry, construction suppliers and other manufacturing customers. Moreover, service centers did not sufficiently replenish their stock during that period, when the Covid-19 pandemic and US federal elections were creating uncertainty and a reluctance to buy steel, according to some sources.
What happened between US HRC and Busheling in 2020?
Managing Editor, Thorsten Schier, reveals the changes and what's impacted this strange event.
Market News
US flat-rolled EAF's fuel new-capacity tsunami
Feature market news
US steel mills are on pace to add more than 13.5 million tons of EAF flat-rolled steelmaking capacity at a cost of at least $6.3 billion...
More news from our experts speaking daily to the markets
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US HRC price hits more than 20-month high of $35.19/cwt
Hot-rolled coil spot prices in the United States have surpassed $35 per hundredweight for the first time since March 2019.
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RESEARCH: US HRC prices forecast to maintain momentum into Q1 2021
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets’ team of analysts are ready to view.
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US HRC price nears $35/cwt; mills said mulling big hikes for 2021 volumes
Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States are within striking distance of $35 per hundredweight amid speculation that January order books could be opened at substantially higher figures.
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RESEARCH: Tinplate, HDG contract negotiations heat up
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.
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RESEARCH: Strong steel markets around the world create bullish expectations
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets’ team of analysts are ready to view.
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STEEL SCRAP WRAP: Global markets remain firm on solid booking activity
Global steel scrap prices have risen or remained firm over the week to Friday October 30, following a strong purchasing trend across all markets.
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There is a steel shortage currently as we speak, and the situation will get more drastic going into the first quarter... If you don't have a deal that guarantees January availability, you are on the outside looking in. They may not be able to offer spot, and they are trying reduce the amount of contract availability. This is all just a culmination of a couple months of reduced capacity, and that's not going away.
Events & Webinars
Deepen your knowledge with our events & webinars
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Steel Success Strategies Online
Steel Success Strategies Online was a great success in 2020, giving the steel industry a platform to meet and find common solutions in a year of crisis.
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Playback: Insights to Drive Success in the 2020 US HRC Contract Season
Take a listen as our experts reviewed the dynamics in the US HRC market through the lens of our daily HRC benchmark.
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Playback: US Steel Supply Chain: Sunny Days Ahead?
This June 2020 webinar, led by our North American steel team, discussed the direction the steel and raw materials markets were headed during the summer and if better days were on the horizon. Watch the playback now.
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Our methodology
A number of people in the metals industry rely on our price assessments and indices to empower their business decisions everyday. We take this responsibility very seriously, and seize every opportunity to provide an explanation of how we, as a price reporting agency, provide this trustworthy data. Our methodologies are published and made accessible to ensure our price reporting process is fully transparent.
Our North American Steel Editor, Grace Asenov, walks you through how we price our US HRC Index in a quick video below.
You can access our full methodology and price specifications for US HRC Index here and for our other steel prices here.
HRC Index Indicators
Forecasting & analysis
Our HRC forecasts and market analysis help businesses plan ahead.
North American Steel Market Tracker
Industry data
Our industry data gives you the insight you need to dig deeper
Why trust our HRC Index?
We understand how important hot-rolled coil (HRC) is to the steel industry, that’s why we provide a wide range of detailed coverage for this material. From prices and price forecasts to the latest breaking news plus long-term analysis of supply and demand our experts can prepare you for anything you need.
Due to increased volatility and feedback from participants in the flat-rolled markets, in November 2018 we increased the frequency of our HRC index to daily to provide a more market-reflective picture of what's happening. This means that every day our reporters are speaking to members of the steel market, understanding what transactions or impactful situations may have occurred that would shift the market.
As a customer, you can obtain a rich history of this market. We have been reporting on HRC, under the former brand American Metal Market, since 1960 with a weekly assessment. In July 2017, we moved our assessment to an index calculation based on market feedback.
Whether you produce, consume or trade HRC, you can rely on our market information to help ensure you make informed decisions for your business.
HRC, or hot-rolled coil, is the predominant finished steel form in the domestic and global steel industry and is the basis for many steel-based industrial products. Significant liquidity in the HRC market along with its importance as a raw material for manufacturers makes this a critical material with consistent volatility in its physical markets.
HRC is mostly used in industrial fabrication as well as in large end markets like automotive and construction. It also is used as a substrate in welded steel tube and pipe production and heavy industrial equipment in the agricultural industry. Participants active in the physical spot market for HRC includes steel mills, service centers, fabricators, and end users such as pipe mills or automotive companies.
Market participants use our HRC prices as escalators or de-escalators in their contracts, as benchmarks for physical and financial contracts, internal sales/purchasing performance evaluations, inventory appraisals and market trend analysis and forecasting. HRC prices also are generally used as an indicator of the health of a steel industry as it is the most commonly produced steel item, and so is often tracked by analysts and financial institutions.