Steel
Overview
The price indices in our Argus Ferrous Markets and Argus Global Steel services are widely used by companies in physical supply contracts around the world – for iron ore, coking coal, hot-rolled coil (HRC) and ferrous scrap.
Many of them are used as the settlement prices for cash-settled futures contracts launched by exchanges to allow users of the derivatives who also transact in the physical market to minimize basis risk while hedging. These cash-settled monthly futures contracts are settled against the arithmetic mean of all the published Argus prices during each calendar month.
Using indices allows companies to trade material on an index-linked basis, not only via fixed-prices sales. This offers significant advantages when prices are volatile, yet the modern finished steel market remains primarily transacted on a fixed price basis. The addition of futures markets offers opportunities to enhance supply chain resilience further.
Latest steel news
British Steel Scunthorpe rolling may stop if BF closes
British Steel Scunthorpe rolling may stop if BF closes
London, 13 September (Argus) — British Steel's Scunthorpe rolling mills may not be able to continue operating if the last blast furnace (BF) closes. The rolling lines are powered by gas captured from the BF process. Recent furnace stability problems and the subsequent lack of gas mean the company has been intermittently operating some lines. It is currently running one BF, which it has fed with stocked raw materials. "If they shut the last blast furnace and import semis they would have to put some liquid gas solution in place and modify the reheat furnaces to be able to run on this different gas supply," a source said. The move to one furnace and reduction in gas supply has already affected availability of some products, and service centres expect tight universal channel supply in the coming months as the company opts for heavier, less lossmaking products. Production at Skinningrove and Teesside could continue, as both sites already have gas supply. But rail production at Scunthorpe would cease without any investment in gas supply. Rail is one of the more profitable businesses in the group, and also important for the wider UK as it is a major supplier to Network Rail. Some market participants are gearing up for Jingye, the Chinese owner of British Steel, to walk away. Executives from British Steel, and local politicians, are visiting China for discussions with Jingye, sources suggest. A spokesperson for British Steel refused to comment on "hypotheticals". "We are in ongoing discussions with the government about our decarbonisation plans and the future operations of our UK business. While progress continues, no final decisions have been made," the spokesperson said. A decision on the BFs could be made in the next few weeks, with them both potentially closing before Christmas, sources suggest. Speaking in Parliament earlier this week, business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said he was "heavily constrained" in his options for British Steel and operating on a shorter time window than the previous administration. The Chinese market has weakened considerably in recent months, which will have affected Jingye financially, along with all other mills, sources said. By Colin Richardson Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Tokyo silent on Nippon-US Steel deal to avoid meddling
Tokyo silent on Nippon-US Steel deal to avoid meddling
Tokyo, 13 September (Argus) — The Japanese government is withholding any comment on the politically fraught acquisition of US Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel because it will create meddling, the country's trade and industry (Meti) minister said. Since Nippon Steel announced its $15bn deal to acquire US Steel in December 2023, Tokyo has remained silent despite it evoking bitter political and industrial debate. This is because any governmental comment will cause "interference in the internal affairs", Meti minister Ken Saito said on 13 September. The acquisition is facing stiff resistance from US vice-president and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris who said on 2 September in Pittsburgh that "US Steel should remain US-owned and US-operated".Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump criticised the deal in February, vowing to block the sale . Criticism from both candidates is seen as an attempt to gain the support of US labour unions for their presidential election ambitions. The deal is currently under review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), with US President Biden possibly considering vetoing the deal. The Japanese business federation Keidanren responded with an open letter to US treasury secretary Janet Yellen, who chairs the CFIUS, expressing concern about "political pressure being brought to bear" on the committee. "We fear that the CFIUS process is being used to further political agendas that are outside the committee's purview and putting the US economy and workers at risk", the letter said. "It is critical that CFIUS remain solely focused on defending US national security while championing economic openness. That was the standard set when Congress codified CFIUS in the 1980s". Meti minister Saito did not make any further direct comment on the deal, only to reiterate that each and every transaction by US and Japanese companies are the building blocks for astrong and resilient bilateral economy. By Yusuke Maekawa Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Padnos acquires three Midwest metal recyclers
Padnos acquires three Midwest metal recyclers
Pittsburgh, 12 September (Argus) — Metal recycler Padnos has acquired three businesses in Michigan and Indiana, the company said Wednesday. The Holland, Michigan-based company purchased the Sam Winer and Company scrap yard in Elkhart, Indiana, Howe Auto Sales in Bay City, Michigan, and Grandpa's Garage in Traverse City, Michigan. Grandpa's Garage is located next door to Padnos' Traverse City facility, allowing the company to expand that location. Financial details of the transactions were not disclosed. Padnos now operates 30 recycling facilities in Michigan and Indiana. By James Marshall Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Mexico’s July industrial output growth slows to 0.2pc
Mexico’s July industrial output growth slows to 0.2pc
Houston, 12 September (Argus) — Mexico's industrial production growth slowed to just 0.2pc in July from the previous month, statistics agency Inegi reported Tuesday, supported by rebounds in construction and non-oil mining. The monthly gain in industrial output, following a 0.4pc increase in June and a 0.7pc gain in May, marked a fifth month of expansion in the seven months through July. Seasonally adjusted, construction led major components in July, expanding by 2.6pc over June, with mining expanding by 1.4pc over the previous month. Oil and gas extraction, however, was down by 0.2pc from the previous month, after 0.5pc growth was reported in June. The segment has now shown contraction in 10 of the last 12 months. Extraction of other minerals, however, increased by 0.4pc over the prior month, after a 4.6pc decline reported in June. Mining-related services also rebounded, up 14.8pc in July after a 9.7pc contraction in June. Manufacturing reversed course in July, registering a 0.8pc contraction from the previous month after posting a 2pc expansion in June. This is largely the result of the auto manufacturing segment posting a monthly contraction of 3.1pc in July after a 5.8pc expansion in June. The auto segment comprises 24pc of the manufacturing component in Inegi's monthly industrial activity report (Imai), and manufacturing accounts for 63pc of nationwide industrial activity. Auto output, however, should rebound in August with INEGI reporting Monday that light vehicle production in August was up almost 20pc from July. Meanwhile, the utilities component — tracking provision of electric power, water and natural gas — contracted for a second consecutive month, down 0.9pc in July after a 0.2pc contraction recorded in June. Manufacture of products derived from oil or coal expanded for a second month, up 3pc in July on a monthly basis after a 10.6pc jump in June. Looking ahead, Mexican bank Banorte said, "We believe that the bias for industry in the remainder of the year will be negative, with headwinds for construction and manufacturing." Some drivers, it said, include: "weakness in US industry; lower base metal prices due to a global economic slowdown, especially in China; the completion of local infrastructure works; and some circumstantial factors that have added volatility within different sectors." Nevertheless, Banorte's industrial outlook for 2025 and the medium-term remains positive as the major infrastructure projects for the incoming administration get underway. By James Young Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Spotlight content
Browse the latest thought leadership produced by our global team of experts.
Moving target: Using an index to track volatile steel prices
Flat steel prices have experienced unprecedented volatility since 2020. Against this backdrop, an increasing number of buyers have started to link their purchasing to price indexes.
Insight papers - 16/05/24Argus launches six new HRC cif Italy origin differentials
The market for importing hot-rolled coil (HRC) to the EU is being driven by a growing number of external factors that are widening differentials for prices from various origins, creating the need for new price assessments that improve transparency for an increasingly complex market.
Insight papers - 04/02/24Hydrogen’s role in decarbonising steel production
The steel industry is a global colossus. Each year 6 billion tonnes of steel and steelmaking materials are moved around the world by truck, rail and ship. Despite a relatively light per tonne carbon footprint, the sheer size of the boot means the sector accounts for 7-9% of global CO2 emissions.
Explore our steel products
FOB China HRC
The rise of the Chinese steel market has moved in lock-step with the development of the country’s economy. Crude steel output soared since the start of the millennium and that spurred raging raw material demand, which upended the coking coal and iron ore markets.
By 2012, China had established itself as a source of steel without peer, and while export volumes have moderated since then, China still exerts the dominant influence over Asia’s steel pricing.
In March 2019, the London Metal Exchange (LME) launched a new FOB China HRC futures contract to help market participants to manage their price risk. The contract is settled against the monthly average of the daily price assessments published in our Argus Ferrous Markets and Argus Global Steel services, and it has rapidly established itself as the most successful finished steel futures launch to-date.
European HRC
Current European steel capacity is most densely concentrated in an area encompassing parts of France, Germany and Benelux. While capacity has rationalized, the European industry has proven resilient throughout decades of change and faces the problems of raw material and finished goods price volatility as well as globalized price competition.
Steel prices remain regional by nature and, like Asia, Europe is only beginning to experiment with steel price indexation. To support market participants with their price risk management, CME Group launched a North European HRC futures contract in March 2020. The LME has announced plans to launch their own N. Europe HRC futures contract in late 2020.
Argus has been selected as the provider of choice by both exchanges, and both futures contracts will be settled against the monthly average of the daily Argus price assessments provided in our Argus Ferrous Markets service.
CFR Taiwan Ferrous Scrap
The US East Coast and Europe look to Turkey to set bulk scrap price direction. Conversely, the US West Coast & Japanese supply looks to Taiwan to set container scrap price direction, which sets wider Asian scrap pricing.
Container markets parcel sizes are more liquid and frequently-traded markets, and the LME has launched a new Steel Scrap CFR Taiwan futures contract in July 2021 to support market participants hedge their risk.
Argus has been selected as the provider of choice by both exchanges, and both futures contracts will be settled against the monthly average of the daily Argus price assessments provided in our Argus Ferrous Markets and Argus Global Steel service.
