US Steel Demand: Is the ‘Buyer Strike’ Over?
As noted previously, steel companies like ArcelorMittal (MT), Nucor (NUE), and AK Steel (AKS) reported lower sequential shipments in the third quarter. ArcelorMittal also pointed to “temporary market weakness in the US.” According to Steel Dynamics, “customers took a temporary purchasing hiatus in anticipation of lower transaction prices as scrap pricing dipped a little and imports moderated some.” However, Nucor’s response was a bit more nuanced.