Recycling, Scrap Metal, Commodities and Economic Report

This is the Commodities, Scrap Metal, Recycling and Economic Report by BENLEE roll off trailers, gondola trailers and roll off truck parts, February 20th, 2023.

weekly tonnage of raw steel production

U.S. weekly raw steel production rose slightly to 1.664MT, still behind last year on slow U.S. growth.

Crude Oil

WTI crude oil price fell to $76.34/b., on concerns over a slow growth in demand and there were more U.S. oil releases from the strategic reserve.

Oil Rig Count

The U.S. weekly oil rig count fell to 607. U.S. oil companies and OPEC are keeping production low to maximize profits.

US Field Production of Crude Oil

U.S. weekly crude oil production was steady at 12.3Mb/d., up only .3Mb/d, which is only 2.5% in 8 months. Russian oil remains totally free flowing mostly to China and India.

AMM Weekly Heavy Melt

Scrap steel #1 HMS price settled at $355/GT on good U.S. and export demand.

Hot Roll Coil

Hot-rolled coil steel price rose $41.75/cwt., $835/T. This was on OK demand, higher scrap prices and tight supply.

Copper

Copper price rose to $4.13/lb., on slow economic growth.

Aluminum

Aluminum price fell to $1.08/lb., $2,387/mt on record Chinese production and increased European production.

U.S. January Retail Sales

U.S. January retail sales, jumped 3% vs. December. Department stores and restaurants grew the fastest. The federal reserve hates strong numbers like this.

U.S. January Producer Price Index

U.S. January producer price index, the prices producers sell to retailers and distributors. They were down to a 6% increase vs. last year, the lowest since March 2021. Inflation is still too high, but it’s coming down.

U.S. January Housing Starts

U.S. January Housing Starts fell 4.5% from December to 1.309M annualized. This is the lowest since June 2020 and below the rate of the 1960’s, about 60 years ago.

U.S. January Industrial Production

U.S. January industrial production, increased .8% vs. last January, the smallest increase since March 2021. Manufacturing was up .3%, as utilities sank 8.9% and mining increased 8.6%.

U.S. NFIB Small Business Optimism Index

U.S. NFIB small business optimism index rose to 90.3, but it was still low. The percent of owners that expect better business conditions rose. Inflation issues were less, but filling jobs was harder.

Dow Jones

Wall Street’s Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 42 points to 33,827 on concerns over higher for longer interest rates.

SuperMini Long

Roll off trailers for sale that are optimized for weight and maneuverability. The BENLEE SuperMini Long is only 33′ long and is 77,500 GVW in a triaxle version and will carry almost 23 tons! Call 734-722-8100 for a quote.

As always, feel free to call or email me with any questions and we hope all have a safe and profitable week.