Key Takeaways The CSP HRC base price reached $1,200 per ton for the week of September 14, and the level that matters to negotiators is not the one in the headline. Iron ore, zinc, and coking coal have all leveled off, which removes the argument that carried pricing through the...
Key Takeaways A single Supreme Court ruling erased the legal basis for most country-level US duties in February, yet the steel rate never moved. The reason importers still paid more in 2026 sits in a valuation change that most supply agreements were never written to absorb. One spring proclamation redefined...
Key Takeaways The CSP HRC base price changed again for the week of September 8, and the CSI differential moved with it. The direction will not surprise buyers who have been watching input costs. Coking coal posted a fifth consecutive weekly gain and now sits at its highest level since...
In the week ending on September 12, 2026, domestic raw steel production was 1,900,000 net tons while the capability utilization rate was 82.3 percent. Production was 1,775,000 net tons in the week ending September 12, 2025, while the capability utilization then was 78.4 percent. The current week’s production represents a 7.0 percent increase from the same period in the previous year. Production for the week ending September 12, 2026, is up 5.1 percent from the previous week ending September 5, 2026, when production was 1,808,000 net tons and the rate of capability utilization was 78.3 percent.
Adjusted year-to-date production through September 12, 2026, was 66,537,000 net tons, at a capability utilization rate of 79.1 percent. That is up 5.5 percent from the 63,093,000 net tons during the same period last year, when the capability utilization rate was 77.2 percent.
Broken down by districts, here’s production for the week ending September 12, 2026, in thousands of net tons: North East: 126; Great Lakes: 538; Midwest: 296; Southern: 876; and Western: 64 for a total of 1900.
The raw steel production tonnage provided in this report is estimated. The figures are compiled from weekly production tonnage provided by approximately 50% of the domestic production capacity combined with the most recent monthly production data for the remainder. Therefore, this report should be used primarily to assess production trends. The AISI production report “AIS 7”, published monthly and available by subscription, provides a more detailed summary of steel production based on data supplied by companies representing 75% of U.S. production capacity. Year-to-date adjusted for consistency with monthly data.
Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on approximately C$27.6 billion worth of U.S.-origin imports took effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, September 8. The measures apply to 629 tariff classifications and impose duties of 15%, 25%, or 50%, with the rate generally designed to match the U.S. tariff applied to the corresponding Canadian product. The action follows the breakdown of Canada-U.S. trade negotiations and Washington’s 50% tariffs on a broad range of Canadian exports. Goods that were already in transit to Canada when the measures began are exempt.
The highest 50% rate applies to major industrial and consumer-product categories, including U.S. steel, aluminum and iron products, certain dairy products such as milk, cream and whey, plastics, paper and pulp products, cosmetics and beauty products, furniture, clothing, motorcycles, smartphones and some other electronics. A 25% tariff applies to goods including cheese and curd, household appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines, softwood lumber, carpets and some steel derivative products. The 15% tier covers selected agricultural and industrial goods, including certain farm equipment, forklifts, industrial molds, HVAC equipment and other targeted imports. Existing Canadian counter-tariffs on U.S. automobiles, including a 25% tariff, remain in force separately from today’s new measures.
U. S. Steel has returned Blast Furnace No. 14 at Gary Works in Indiana to service following a $350 million reline and modernization project. The furnace, the largest at Gary Works and across U. S. Steel’s domestic operations, can produce more than 2 million metric tons of hot metal annually, strengthening the company’s ability to supply steel customers and support U.S. manufacturing demand.
The project involved replacing the furnace’s refractory lining and restoring critical systems for furnace gas handling, cooling water, hoisting and hot-blast stoves. More than 1 million labor hours were completed by employees, contractors and project partners, with no days-away injuries recorded during the work. U. S. Steel said the investment is intended to improve operating reliability, support safe production and extend the productive life of the No. 14 furnace.
The United Steelworkers announced that work will continue at U.S. Steel and Cleveland-Cliffs under 30-day extensions of the companies’ current basic labor agreements. Reached as the agreements approached their September 1 expiration, the extensions maintain current contract terms and avert an immediate work stoppage while negotiations continue. The arrangement is an extension of the bargaining process, not a tentative agreement or a final settlement.usw
The USW said its negotiating committees will remain at the table with both companies to pursue new agreements covering represented employees. The union did not release specific details on outstanding proposals involving pay, benefits, pensions, investment commitments, or job security, nor did it set a target date for reaching new contracts. The additional month nevertheless creates a defined window for the parties to continue discussions without disrupting operations.usw
Cleveland-Cliffs separately said it respects the USW and the ongoing bargaining process, and that it remains committed to reaching an agreement that supports both its workforce and a competitive, sustainable business. Cliffs’ existing agreement was extended until October 1. U.S. Steel did not appear to issue a separate public announcement detailing its position on the extension; the USW’s release remains the clearest public statement covering both companies’ agreement to continue bargaining and maintain operations during the 30-day period.
United States imports of plates in coil fell sharply in June 2026, according to preliminary Department of Commerce census data. Import volume totaled 52,611 metric tons, a decline of 18.2% from May and 37.5% below the June 2025 level. The value of those imports dropped to $34.17 million, compared with $41.14 million in May and $54.70 million a year earlier.
The figures point to a meaningful month-over-month retreat in inbound plate in coil supply, while the much larger year-over-year decline indicates that import activity in June ran substantially below the pace seen during the same month in 2025.
Canada remained the largest foreign supplier of plate in coil to the United States during June, shipping 12,815 metric tons, up from 11,172 metric tons in May but far below the 25,561 metric tons shipped in June 2025.
Origin | June 2026 volume |
|---|---|
Canada | 12,815 mt |
Vietnam | 12,017 mt |
South Korea | 10,917 mt |
Algeria | 4,894 mt |
Brazil | 4,534 mt |
Together, Canada, Vietnam, South Korea, Algeria, and Brazil accounted for the bulk of June’s plate in coil import volume, with Canadian shipments holding the top position despite their significant decline from the prior year.
Why it matters: Plate buyers evaluating offshore supply are looking at a materially different origin mix than the one that existed a year ago. Canada retains the top position on volume, but at roughly half its June 2025 shipment level, and the countries filling the next positions are not the traditional set. Sourcing decisions built on last year’s origin assumptions do not match this year’s flows.
Total carbon steel imports increased slightly in July, climbing 6.1% from June to 1.713 million tons. Carbon flat rolled imports declined sharply, however, sliding 22.7% from June to 259,767 tons. July flat rolled imports were down an even sharper 32.4% compared to July 2025.
Within flat rolled, all three product groups saw sharp declines from June:
Cold rolled fell 39.5%, the sharpest decline of the three.
Hot Rolled fell 25.4%.
Coated fell 11.3%.
Within coated, hot-dipped Galvanized imports slipped to a 1,865 tons per day rate, the lowest level in more than two decades.
Year-to-date carbon flat rolled imports of 1.840 million tons are now down 37.2% compared to the first seven months of 2025.
US line pipe imports totaled 55,896 metric tons in June 2026, rising 35.1 percent from May but slipping 1.6 percent from June 2025, according to final US Department of Commerce census data. Import value increased to $57.2 million from $48.8 million in May, though it remained below the $62.8 million recorded a year earlier. South Korea was the leading supplier at 26,398 mt, followed by India with 8,793 mt, Ukraine with 7,145 mt and Mexico with 5,380 mt
Cleveland-Cliffs plans to invest $1 billion to modernize its Middletown Works steel plant in Ohio, a project expected to preserve 2,300 jobs and maintain the operation’s roughly 3 million tons of annual raw steelmaking capacity. The US Department of Energy and Cleveland-Cliffs are each expected to contribute $500 million, with spending planned over the next four years. Steel production is expected to continue during construction, which will include upgrades to the blast furnace, material-handling systems and artificial intelligence-based process controls.wtrf
The investment also includes a cogeneration facility designed to capture blast furnace gas and convert it into electricity and steam for the mill. Cleveland-Cliffs said the system should reduce reliance on externally purchased power and lower operating costs. Work is expected to begin in the coming weeks, with the blast furnace rebuild slated for completion in the first quarter of 2030. More than 1,500 workers, including local union building-trades members, are expected to be involved during peak construction activity.
BlueScope Steel’s North American operations were the primary contributor to the company’s sharply improved financial performance in the year ended June 30, 2026, supported by stronger US steel spreads and full-rate production at its expanded North Star mill in Delta, Ohio. North American and Asian underlying EBIT rose 101 percent year on year to A $1.03 billion, while North Star shipments increased 3 percent to 2.98 million metric tons. BlueScope reported total net profit of A $802 million, up 857 percent from the prior year, and underlying EBIT of A $1.27 billion, compared with A $738.2 million in FY 2024-25.
US imports of hot-dip galvanized sheet totaled 77,277 metric tons in June 2026, down 14.7 percent from May and 41.8 percent from June 2025, according to preliminary US Department of Commerce census data. Import value fell to $81.0 million, compared with $94.5 million in May and $153.5 million in the same month last year, underscoring a sharp year-on-year reduction in both shipment volume and value.
Canada remained the leading source of imported HDG in June at 38,777 mt, narrowly above the 38,270 mt shipped in May but well below the 60,825 mt reported in June 2025. South Korea was the second-largest supplier with 17,526 mt, followed by Austria with 4,813 mt and Pakistan with 3,398 mt. Together, these figures point to a substantial pullback in overall US HDG import activity despite relatively steady monthly shipments from Canada.
US steel imports totaled 1.90 million metric tons in June 2026, down 3.8 percent from May and 6.6 percent from June 2025, according to preliminary US Department of Commerce census data. Import value also declined to $1.9 billion, compared with $2.0 billion in May and $2.1 billion in June last year. South Korea remained the largest foreign supplier at 382,499 mt, followed by Canada at 266,718 mt, Brazil at 221,881 mt and Mexico at 173,736 mt.
By product group, long-product imports posted the largest monthly decline, falling to 370,427 mt from 524,922 mt in May. Flat-product imports edged down to 525,116 mt from 529,400 mt, while semi-finished imports rose to 559,708 mt from 547,431 mt and pipe and tube imports increased to 375,427 mt from 305,676 mt. The American Iron and Steel Institute estimated that imports accounted for 17 percent of the US steel market in June and 16 percent during the first half of 2026.
The US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security has proposed extending Section 232 tariffs on steel, aluminum and copper to 14 additional derivative-product categories. The action follows President Donald Trump’s April 2 proclamation, which gave Commerce and the US Trade Representative authority to add downstream products when imports are found to threaten national security, worsen previously identified risks or undermine existing tariff measures. Commerce said the products under review are predominantly composed of steel, aluminum and/or copper by weight, and that their imports could weaken the objectives of current Section 232 actions.
The proposed list covers a broad mix of industrial, consumer and transportation goods. Products identified include non-lamellar aluminum powder; brass-wind musical instruments and their parts and accessories; welding-machine parts; free-standing floor safes; specified electric conductor cables; fire extinguishers; heat-exchanger parts; and parts for linear-acting hydraulic power engines and motors. The proposal also includes tanker trailers and tanker semi-trailers, other trailers and semi-trailers, self-loading or self-unloading agricultural trailers and semi-trailers, and mobile industrial equipment such as certain self-propelled cranes, mobile lifting frames and straddle carriers. Specific cable classifications named in the notice include HTSUS 8544.49.2000, 8544.49.3040, 8544.49.3080 and 8544.60.4000, while fire extinguishers fall under HTSUS 8424.10.0000 and heat-exchanger parts under HTSUS 8419.90.3000.
Most of the proposed derivative products would generally face a 25 percent tariff if the expansion is adopted. However, several categories would receive differentiated treatment. Self-loading and self-unloading agricultural trailers and semi-trailers would generally be subject to a 15 percent tariff, while certain self-propelled cranes, mobile lifting frames and straddle carriers would be subject to the separate rates applicable to mobile industrial equipment under the June 1 proclamation. Filled steel containers holding propane, oxygen or propylene would generally face a 50 percent tariff, although the duty would apply only to the value of the steel container rather than the value of the gas or chemical inside it. BIS is accepting public comments on the proposal through August 27, 2026.
Section 301 tariffs are import duties authorized under the Trade Act of 1974. They allow the U.S. Trade Representative to investigate foreign practices considered unfair or harmful to U.S. commerce and, if warranted, impose tariffs or other trade restrictions. Source: Congress
The Trump administration recently used this authority to impose tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on goods from 60 economies, citing failures to prohibit or effectively enforce bans on imports produced with forced labor. The actions include duties affecting goods from 59 countries and the European Union.
A coalition of 25 states, led by New York and co-led by California, Arizona, and Oregon, has filed a lawsuit challenging the tariffs. The participating states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
The Dodge Momentum Index rose 6.9% in July to 291.7, up from a revised June reading of 273.0. Commercial planning increased 4.1%, while institutional planning advanced 13.1%, reflecting stronger activity across several nonresidential construction .
Data center projects were a major source of commercial momentum, although planning slowed in the office, warehouse, retail, and hotel sectors. Institutional activity broadened across education, healthcare, recreational, religious, and public buildings, helping lift the index 11.7% above July 2025 levels. Dodge said the stronger planning pipeline could support construction growth in late 2027, although inflation may limit the pace of expansion.
Source: Construction
Nucor reported consolidated net earnings of $1.16 billion, or $5.04 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2026, driven by record steel mill shipments and higher average selling prices. The company’s steel mills segment shipped 7.1 million tons in the quarter, marking the second consecutive quarterly record and pushing mill utilization to 91 percent.
Strong demand across sheet, plate, bar, and structural products helped lift both volumes and pricing, while a $130 million reduction in raw material costs from prior-period refunds also boosted results. Management said the performance reflects solid investment in key U.S. end markets and supportive trade policies, with shipment growth for 2026 now expected near the high end of its 5 to 10 percent range.
Hyundai Steel is set to begin construction of its first North American automotive steel plant with a groundbreaking ceremony on September 4, 2026, in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. The $5.8 billion electric arc furnace (EAF) integrated mill will be built at the RiverPlex MegaPark and is expected to reach full operation by 2029.
The facility will have an annual capacity of about 2.8 million metric tons, with roughly 70 percent of output dedicated to automotive steel for Hyundai Motor Group’s U.S. vehicle plants and other North American automakers. The project is projected to create more than 1,300 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs, while using a direct reduction plus EAF route to produce low-carbon steel.
The new U.S. tariffs on Canada are set at 50% for covered goods, and they apply under Section 338 of the Tariff Act, which targets trade discrimination rather than a national emergency. The White House says the move responds to what it sees as unfair treatment of U.S. exports, especially in cars, dairy, and alcohol.
The duties take effect within 30 days and cover a wide range of Canadian products, from consumer items like wine and hockey sticks to industrial goods such as commercial cement. Several major exports are exempt, including energy, potash, critical minerals, and fish, and the tariffs apply even to covered goods that would otherwise fall under USMCA.
The UK government has taken British Steel into public ownership to safeguard steelmaking at the Scunthorpe Mill, which has been at the center of concerns about the future of the country’s primary steel production. The intervention is designed to keep the site operating, protect jobs, and prevent a loss of domestic steelmaking capacity that would be difficult to replace once gone.
Officials frame the move as both an industrial and strategic decision, since the mill supports workers, contractors, and a wider supply chain tied to UK manufacturing. By stepping in, the government aims to stabilize the business while shaping a longer-term solution for the site, with the goal of preserving steel production at one of the country’s most important mills.
The United States has exempted Brazilian pig iron from the 25% tariff, a decision that matters for steelmakers because pig iron is a critical raw material in steel production. By leaving this input out of the tariff, the U.S. is easing pressure on buyers that depend on Brazilian supply, especially mills that use pig iron to support furnace operations and maintain production efficiency.
The exemption also helps limit disruption in the wider steel supply chain, where even a modest jump in input costs can ripple through pricing and sourcing decisions. For producers and traders, the move provides some near-term stability by keeping a key feedstock available without the added tariff burden, even as the broader trade environment around Brazilian imports remains tight.
You cannot copy content of this page
