International steel trading group Stemcor is cautiously optimistic about steel product prices further ahead in 2019, with key regional steel markets reaching their peak construction periods, it said this week.
"We began the second quarter with cautious optimism, entering peak construction periods in key markets and noting that central banks have largely discontinued raising interest rates for the foreseeable future," Stemcor chief executive officer Steve Graf said."It would not surprise us to see steel prices rising globally in the second half of 2019," he added."Steel-consuming businesses remain cautious, with confidence in the future restrained by geo-political and macro-economic concerns, coupled with numerous protectionist measures on steel products around the world," Graf...