US scrap trends outlook: June 2024

Here are the key takeaways from the US scrap market participants in our June survey

What’s the market sentiment for June?

  • The trend indicator for June is at 45.7, with a consensus at 59%
  • Buyers, brokers and sellers are aligned in their outlook with indicator values ranging from 43.9 to 46.1
  • 15.5% of the respondents expected higher prices, 38.1% expected lower prices
  • Inventory levels are at 51.5, indicating that stockpiles are sufficient to meet demand

Read on for a summary of the results of our US ferrous scrap market survey for June or click here to download your copy of the full US scrap trends outlook.

Anticipated decline in scrap prices amidst lower demand

In June 2024, the US scrap market is expected to see a decline in prices driven primarily by lower demand. The overall trend indicator has dropped to 45.7, suggesting a downturn in market sentiment compared to previous months. This is reflected in the forecasted scrap price change of -2.4% month-on-month, signalling an anticipated reduction in prices.

Aligned outlook for all market participants

Consensus among surveyed participants is tight, with a consensus index of 0.59, indicating agreement on the market’s direction. Buyers, brokers, and sellers are all aligned in their outlook, with their respective trend indicators at 43.9, 47.2, and 46.1.

Inventories are sufficient to meet demand

Inventory levels are slightly above average at 51.5, suggesting that stockpiles are sufficient to meet current demand. The primary market driver identified for this period is lower demand, which is expected to exert downward pressure on scrap prices. The current downward trend is therefore expected to continue into June.

What to read next
Downward pressure on global steel prices, caused by continued high levels of Chinese steel production at prices below costs, creates incentives than can lead to a rebalancing of global supply and demand and a boost to profitability, World Steel Dynamics chief executive officer Philipp Englin said at the Global Steel Dynamics Forum in New York on Wednesday June 18.
The prices were published at 3:59 pm UK time instead of the scheduled time of 2-3 pm UK time. The following price was published late:MB-STE-0149 steel scrap heavy scrap domestic, delivered mill China, yuan/tonne  These prices are a part of the Fastmarkets scrap package. For more information or to provide feedback on the delayed publication of […]
Due to a system error, the market price for June 2 was used twice in the calculation of the weekly average for AG-FML-0008 Feathermeal, fob US Delmarva Peninsula, $/short ton, resulting in an error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated to reflect this change. Incorrect weekly average for May 31-June 6: $185-270 per short tonCorrect weekly average […]
Japanese steel major Nippon Steel is aiming to hit its 2050 goal of carbon neutrality by focusing on hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI) to make a breakthrough in green steel production, the company said on Friday May 30.
The European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism will be implemented in seven months’ time but the region’s steel industry was still not fully prepared for the gradual changes the system will involve, Fastmarkets heard on Thursday May 8 at the Made in Steel trade fair in Milan, Italy.
The global steel industry’s move to decarbonize and China’s penchant for lower-grade ores in recent years have uncovered challenges for high-grade iron ore to live out its value in both the blast furnace-based steelmaking route and the direct-reduction iron process, delegates told Fastmarkets during the Singapore International Ferrous Week (SIFW), which takes place from May 26-30.