Steel recovery is confirmed/Producers raise prices and production/Scrap merchants follow producers/Demand sustainability in doubt

摘要

Just as we predicted in last month's issue of Steelmaking Raw Materials, the latest statistics reveal that industrial activity has gathered pace throughout the first quarter with the fourth consecutive month-on-month increase in estimated industrial production. April's figure, according to the Federal Reserve, was 139.2, representing the largest manufacturing output level since last August owing to the continued improvements in motor vehicles and parts. As can be seen in the chart opposite, the upturn in industrial production was closely linked to the upturn in purchasing managers confidence.