North American producers and buyers of carbon steel plate believe the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has fallen well short of being a stimulus plan for plate. Most, in fact, look at it more like a disaster plan.

It's not hard to understand why. Steel plate used in transportation projects such as bridge and road reconstruction, barge-building and rail car building was supposed to be a product that would see significantly increased demand springing from the economic stimulus package.

But plate demand has remained tepid at best. The demand improvements that have been seen, according to market sources, in all likelihood would have happened as the result of normal market forces. They say ARRA has had little impact, if any, on demand thus far and most don't see any significant change in the demand picture developing.

"We're seeing a little impact, but not very much," said David Britten, president of SSAB North America, Lisle, Ill. "For the amount of hype it was given, when you look at the total dollars that went to infrastructure and energy, the impact has been minimal. I was actually looking for a stronger word but, yeah, it's been minimal."

John Ferriola, chief operating officer of Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C., and Scott Montross, vice president and general manager of Evraz Inc. N.A.'s Evraz Oregon Steel operations in Portland, Ore., expressed similar views.

"I think it's fair to say that what we have seen so far has been disappointing," Ferriola said. "We haven't really seen any impact on demand. Our expectations were higher. You might see a tiny bit coming from wind towers, but that's about all."

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