David Schollaert

It’s official: the 2026 FIFA World Cup is underway. Mexico kicked off the festivities Thursday afternoon with a win against South Africa in Mexico City. The US squad will begin its campaign for soccer’s—football, fútbol, or futebol as it’s known by most—undisputed ultimate prize tomorrow when they play Paraguay in Los Angeles. The US, Mexico, and Canada are hosting the 23rd edition of the World Cup. It’s the single biggest sporting event in the world.

The decisive factor remains the 50% Section 232 tariffs. While imports from Europe are marginally more expensive than domestic material, Southeast Asian products remain at a significant discount. The dynamic has kept the overall gap tighter since the fourth quarter. In dollar-per-ton terms, US product is on average $48/st more expensive than landed import prices (inclusive of the 50% tariff), up $19 from a $29/st spread last week.

SSAB Americas plans to increase plate prices by at least $40 per short ton (st), according to a letter sent to customers on Monday. The steelmaker said the increase would apply to all new spot orders confirmed to ship on or after August 2. “Published extras, regional freight premiums and non-preferred freight mode extras will be applied,” the company said in the letter. You can check out SMU’s Steel Mill Price Announcement Calendar to follow announced pricing moves.