SBQ buyers report soft demand, price erosion
Mar 15, 2013 | 01:27 PM
| Corinna Petry
Tags
Special bar quality products,
SBQ pricing,
SBQ demand,
production curtailments,
processors,
distributors,
corinna petry
CHICAGO — First-quarter demand for special bar quality (SBQ) products has not proven as stable as many buyers and sellers had hoped, with a number of sources reporting reduced turns and hours of production at some mills due to less-than-robust order books.
"Our order book is slow. February was way off and March, too, from last year to somewhere between 2009 and 2010 levels," said an upper Great Lakes buyer. "That is in spite of automotive demand, improved housing starts and a rising stock market."
A source at a national bar distributor confirmed the apparent slowdown. "(Some mills) cut production a turn or two, and some hours, to create more backlog," he said. "They’re cutting overhead because business is not good. If they had an order book, they would not cut turns and hours."....
To access AMM's full content, please log in below. If you do not have an AMM account, we invite you to take a free trial or subscribe below.
Already a registered amm.com user?
Access to amm.com editorial content is granted only to paid subscribers and trialists. If you do not have an active account in your own name, please either subscribe or take a trial and you will have instant access to amm.com content. Sharing your login credentials with individuals who are not subscribers represents a violation of AMM copyright.
Every morning, every minute — no matter how often you follow the markets, there's an AMM subscription to fit your needs.
Subscribe Now
Click Here
Not sure if you are ready to invest in a subscription right now? Take a free, no-obligation trial. Start your free trial today.
Take a Free trial
Click Here