Automotive MMI Soars 12.2% as Steel Prices Surge, Trump Promises Import Tax

Our Automotive MMI took off in February, surging 12.2% along with strong gains in steel prices and all of the base metals in the automotive index saw gains in the first full month of 2017.

Hot-dipped galvanized steel was a particularly strong performer along with the catalyst metals, palladium and platinum. The tough talk about U.S. automotive production that President Donald Trump started during the campaign has only ramped up since his inauguration. Automakers could have to significantly alter their purchasing and supply chains if a border tax is enacted.
House Republican leaders have proposed what they call a “border-adjusted tax,” which would place a levy on vehicles imported into the U.S. and fully exempt those exported. Though Trump initially deemed the idea too complicated, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer recently said it was under consideration and could help pay for a wall along the Mexico border.
An overhaul of the U.S. tax system could hand an advantage to Ford Motor Company, Honda America and General Motors, which rely the least on imported vehicles among the major automakers. The shake-up, if it is a border-adjusted tax, would clearly undermine Toyota America, which relies on shipments of RAV4 sport utility vehicles from Canada and Lexus luxury models from Japan, and deliver an even more damaging blow to companies with zero domestic production, including Mazda Motor Corp.
“The border adjustment piece of this is very intriguing for us,” Ford Chief Executive Officer Mark Fields told analysts after posting a $10.4 billion pretax profit for 2016. “The reason for that is we are the largest producer of vehicles here in the U.S. We’re a top exporter.”
About 79% of Ford’s domestic vehicle sales were built at home last year, according to researcher LMC Automotive, second only to the much smaller electric-car maker Tesla Motors. Honda ranks just behind Tesla and Ford, with 68% of its U.S. sales coming from domestic plants, followed by GM with 65%.
If the first weeks of the Trump administration are any indication, though, initial action on a tax plan could happen quickly via executive order and the lengthy process of legislation could be a post-executive order action plan.
January is typically the weakest month of the year for U.S. auto sales, and last month appeared to be no exception. Sales fell 2% to 1.1 million, according to Autodata Corp. Supply chain executives are clearly more worried about supply chains and a possible import tax this month than end-product sales.

Actual Automotive Metal Prices

U.S. Hot-dipped galvanized steel increased 3.2% to $841 per standard ton from $815/st in January. Chinese lead increased 6% to $2,707.76 per metric ton this month from $2,555.58 in January. U.S. Platinum bars increased 10.2% to $993 per ounce from $901/ounce in January.