March 2022 Nickel & Surcharge Update

March 2022 Update

Thanks for reading the Ram Alloys Monthly Nickel and 316L s/c update, intended to help our valued customers make educated business decisions.

Survey Success!!!

Hundreds participated in our survey, with the intel learned invaluable
Survey results will be sent next week
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Customer Survey

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Survey Questions

Answered by Ram Alloys Only

Did you raise prices to your customers in 2021? Q1 YES
Do you plan to raise prices to your customers in 2022? Q2 YES
Did you increase your workforce in 2021? Q3 YES
Do you plan on increasing your workforce in 2022? Q4 YES
What is more concerning in 2022: raw material prices or raw material supply? Q5 RAW MATEIRAL PRICES
What was your best sales year out of the following: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021? Q6 2021
Do you expect your sales to increase in 2022 as compared to 2021? Q7 YES

Current Take

Eventually, we'll report on something other than rising prices, extending lead times, and limited supply, but not this month (and not anytime soon). We are more worried about Raw Material Prices because:

We are confident in our current inventory (historically high levels) and customer base (thank you ); and
What goes up, must come down. The fear of being caught with high cost inventory now outweighs the fear of limited supply. However, we believe there's a sufficient runway and have planned accordingly.

LEAD TIMES: varies by grade and product line, but a generally, they are pushing into late Q1 2023 to early Q2 2023.

PRICING: the mills issued another price increase since our last update, making it the NINTH base price increase in the last 12 months. Also, silicon has joined the party, up 300% against it's historical average, elevating it to surcharge level ($0.05/lb. this month).

Story to watch in 2022 (update): 2021 Energy and Aerospace demand for stainless steel and nickel alloys, while up from 2020, is nowhere near historical levels. Either sector can substantially disrupt an already discombobulated supply chain with traditional consumption.

Previous reports continue to be accurate: energy and aerospace demand is robust and will complicate pricing and supply. Monitor and protect accordingly.

Yearly/Monthly 316L s/c and Ni Charts

April22 Nickel Projections

Ni Price History

April22 Nickel Price

EU Quota Info

EU Quota System Highlights:

Quotas by EU country, not mill, and by HTS Code, not grade
Link: Unofficial steel country quotas
Quarterly volumes based on a first come/first served bases
Link: US Customs and Border Protection Quota Bulletins
Link: US Customs and Border Protection Quota Utilizations found in its Commodity Status Reports
Imported volumes > quota assessed a 25% tariff
Exclusions apply, but adjustments under consideration
Chaos and confusion are a certainty, clarity sometime late Q1/early Q2

Ram Alloys is a niche service center supplying a complete inventory of stainless steel, nickel products, pump shaft quality bars, and boat shaft quality bars in a full range of standard grades. Value-added services include comprehensive and customized processing options, prompt shipping, same-day order turnaround, and 24/7 availability. We're here to ensure that your procurement needs are met quickly and accurately, minimizing schedule impacts and return material authorizations. Request a quote today!

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