Magazine Issue: November 2012

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Cover Story

Columns

FULL OF SCRAP

• Eminent domain efforts sell scrapyards down the river

  Recyclers are being forced out of US cities for public projects, but such action serves only to cut tax revenues and eliminate badly needed jobs.

PARTING SHOTS

• What we don’t talk about when we talk about steel

  As the latest cycle of labor contract ‘campaigning’ comes to an end, the fate of union-represented steel capacity hangs in the balance.

From the Editor

AMM COMMENT

• A wild year for scrap prices

  What a difference a year makes. At AMM’s fifth annual Steel Scrap Conference in Chicago in November last year, much of the talk was about the remarkable run of stability the market had seen during 2011 up until then.

Features

THE MONTH IN METALS

• Rise in steel imports affects distributors, infrastructure

  Not only is the influx of foreign products causing concerns, but so too is the difficulty in moving them through US harbors and waterways.

ALTERNATIVE THINKING

• DRI, alternatives may alter course of scrap markets

  As substitutes come online in North America, the effect on monthly domestic ferrous scrap markets remains uncertain.

ISRI'S TAKE

• Ferrous scrap’s wild ride poised to continue

  Volatility is the ruler of the day as global economic uncertainty and fluctuations in both supply and demand continue to buck last year’s expectations of a smooth market recovery.  And no aspect of the market has roven immune to the instability.

RAW TRUTHS

• SAI offers metal companies tools for effeciency

  Systems Alternatives International makes an impact on recyclers’ bottom lines with software and information technology systems that allow users to automate each aspect of their operations.

CENTER PIECE

• 2012 scrap prices have made distributors anxious

  Steel mills’ price increases often have been slowed this year not just by depressed demand, but also by frequent downward scrap markets.

END-USER SPOTLIGHT

• Kitchen aid: Appliances still large consumer of metals

  With a host of new issues on the table, mills are working closely with OEMs to ensure sustainability and environmental responsibility.

SPECIAL SECTION: ENERGY

• Steelmakers benefit from natural gas boom

  Cheap, plentiful natural gas is changing the economics of manufacturing and has the potential to become a long-lasting revolution within the industry.

SPECIAL SECTION: ENERGY

• Metals sector seeks cleaner, cheaper electrical supply

  In a world where US environmental standards are increasingly strict and international competitors have access to subsidized electricity, industry insiders weigh in on the best options for ensuring access to clean, affordable and sustainable power.