Algoma Steel Inc. added to its mounting losses during the fourth quarter. Sales and shipments plummeted as ongoing trade tensions between Canada and the US force the Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario-based steelmaker to reconfigure its entire business model.
Trade for many of the sheet and plate products we follow has fallen to multi-year lows through December.
US hot-rolled coil prices are set to rise year on year in 2026, but the market will face heightened volatility as import flows recover and new domestic capacity comes online, CRU Research Principal Josh Spoores said at this year's Tampa Steel Conference.
Even folks who had been firmly in what I’ll call the “February peak” camp now seem to agree that sheet and plate prices could move higher for longer than they anticipated.
Steel imports slowed further in December and January to some of the lowest volumes recorded in recent years.
Leaders of the Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA) and the Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) used this year's Tampa Steel Conference to outline the North American steel industry's central challenges: growing pressures, tariff realignments, and the upcoming USMCA review.
North American auto assemblies recovered in January, up nearly 12% vs. December, though down more than 2% year on year (y/y), according to GlobalData.
The latest Baker Hughes rig count report shows steady drilling for oil and gas in the US, while drilling in Canada improved slightly.
The US House of Representatives voted on a resolution on Wednesday, Feb. 11, to disapprove of President Trump's national emergency declaration that led to the imposition of tariffs on Canada.
I want to say a big thank you to everyone who attended the Tampa Steel Conference. More than 600 people – smashing the record we set last year.
Plate production for the construction of the Polar Max Icebreaker is underway at Algoma’s Sault Ste. Marie facility in Ontario.
November steel exports tumbled 15% from October to the lowest monthly export rate since July 2020.
US rebar and wire rod prices rose month on month (m/m) alongside continued scrap increases, while merchant bar and structurals were unchanged.
General Motors Canada has laid off ~500 workers at its Oshawa Assembly facility in Ontario, as the plant moves to two shifts of production as of Monday, Feb. 2.
Steel imports remain weak in November and December according to recently released final US Commerce Department data. Many of the sheet and plate products we follow slipped to multi-year lows.
The Tampa Steel Conference will kick off just a few days after the Super Bowl, and I think it’s fair to say that we could be reacting to market developments in real time – again.
There is no evidence that unofficial talks are taking place to secure tariff reductions on Canadian aluminum or steel. One of the biggest challenges is simply understanding what the US actually wants from Canada.
The latest count of operational oil and gas rigs increased in both the US and Canada this week, according to the latest data released from Baker Hughes.
A coalition of US steel industry CEOs has formally urged President Trump to maintain—and fully enforce—current Section 232 tariffs on steel and steel‑containing goods.
President Donald Trump in a post on Truth Social threatened to impose 100% tariffs on all exports from Canada into the US. It would be boastful (but not entirely inaccurate) to say you read it in SMU and heard it on Aluminum Market Update (AMU) first.
If forced to choose between Canada and Mexico, many manufacturers are likely to prioritize Mexico as the more important manufacturing hub.
The latest tally of operational oil and gas rigs increased this week in both the US and Canada, according to the latest figures published by Baker Hughes.
US steel imports have fallen sharply under the new 50% Section 232 tariff regime. Jerry Richardson, general director of CSN LLC, discussed on an SMU Community Chat this week how the market is now structurally tighter and more volatile than at any point in the past decade.
The number of oil and gas rigs operating in the US fell this week, while Canadian activity recovered further, according to the latest data released from Baker Hughes.
The volume of steel shipped outside of the country increased 11% from September to October 2025 to a seven-month high of 662,000 short tons (st), according to recently released data from the US Department of Commerce.
According to recently released final US Commerce Department data, US steel imports rebounded 11% month on month (m/m) in October 2025 after falling to a multi-year low one month earlier. The latest license figures suggest imports eased back by 3% in November and by another 2% in December, with trade again nearing historical lows.
As we move into 2026, it’s time to look forward. While the “Donroe Doctrine,” Venezuela, and Greenland absorb significant press attention, important trade developments will also continue to make headlines this year. The unprecedented changes we saw in 2025 will continue in 2026, particularly in the areas of IEEPA and tariffs, USMCA, and the WTO.
The number of oil and gas rigs operating in the US fell this week, while Canadian activity surged, according to the latest data released from Baker Hughes.
Algoma Steel Group Inc. is preparing to report another significant quarterly loss as it winds down its blast furnace operations and ramps up electric-arc furnace steelmaking.
The number of oil and gas rigs operating in the US ticked higher this week, while Canadian activity tumbled, according to the latest data released from Baker Hughes.