Association News

Global crude steel production in April totaled 161.4 million tons, a 2.4 percent decrease compared with the prior month. Year-to-date production for the 63 countries reporting to worldsteel is 622.7 million tons, down 0.3 percent.

The U.S. imported 2.4 million net tons of steel in April, including 1.9 million tons of finished steel, the American Iron and Steel Institute reported. Total imports were down 9.4 percent and finished imports were up 1.4 percent compared with March.

The Copper Development Association is challenging letters sent by the U.S. Geological Survey to congressmen and senators, denying a bipartisan request to immediately add copper to the official Critical Minerals list due to its dramatic supply risk.

Aluminum shipments from service centers continued to decline in April, the Metals Service Center Institute reported in its latest Metals Activity Report.

The Biden administration released a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated by U.S. power plants in an effort to combat climate change. The National Manufacturers Association was among several groups critical of the proposal.

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in April for the sixth consecutive month following a 28-month period of growth, the Institute for Supply Management reported in its latest Manufacturing Report on Business. The PMI for April was 47.1 percent, 0.8 percentage points higher than the March reading.

Global steel production in March totaled 165.1 million tons in March, a 1.7 percent increase compared with the same month last year, Brussels-based worldsteel reported. Global production for the 63 countries reporting to WSA totaled 459.3 million tons for the first three months of 2023, down 0.1 percent compared with the previous year.

Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the U.S. imported 2.6 million net tons of steel in March, up 14.2 percent compared with the prior month. Finished steel imports increased 9 percent compared with the prior month, the American Iron and Steel Institute reported.

U.S. steel mills shipped 6.9 million net tons of steel in February, the American Iron and Steel Institute reported. Production was down 4.4 percent compared with February and 3.2 percent compared with the prior month.

Service center metals activity for the month of March shows steel shipments increasing in the U.S. and Canada from year-ago levels while aluminum shipments declined in both countries from the same period a year ago, the Metals Service Center Institute reported.