Steel Products Prices North America
SMU Comparison Price Indices: Leveling Off
Written by John Packard
May 11, 2014
Steel Market Update was the big mover of hot rolled prices this week as we took our average to $685 per ton or $10 per ton higher than one week ago. CRU, Platts and SteelBenchmarker all held their numbers as is for the week. The hot rolled indexes average is up $5 per ton to $687 per ton.
Cold rolled spreads shrunk this past week. Platts kept their number the same at $815 per ton and CRU matched it. SMU has cold rolled at $810 per ton and SteelBenchmarker is at $799 per ton but they did not report new numbers this week (only twice per month).
Galvanized prices rose out of the CRU while SMU kept our average the same as one week ago.
FOB Points for each index:
SMU: Domestic Mill, East of the Rockies.
CRU: Midwest Mill, East of the Rockies.
SteelBenchmarker: Domestic Mill, East of the Mississippi.
Platts: Northern Indiana Domestic Mill.
John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Steel Products Prices North America
Thin demand keeps plate prices hovering at lowest levels since February
Participants in the domestic plate market say spot prices appear to have hit the floor, and they continue to linger there. They say demand for steel remains thin, with plate products no exception.
SMU Price Ranges: HR crawls back to $800/ton
SMU’s HR price stands at $800/st on average, up $5/st from last week. The modest gain came as the low end of our range firmed, and despite the high end of our range declining slightly.
SMU successfully completes IOSCO review
SMU has successfully completed an external review of all our prices. The review has concluded that they algin with principles set by the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).
Domestic plate prices could heat up despite so-so demand, market sources say
Some sources also speculated that plate could see further price increases thanks to modest but steady demand, lower imports, mill maintenance outages, and end markets less immediately affected by tariff-related disruptions.
SMU Price Ranges: HR holds, galv slips amid competing market narratives
SMU’s sheet and plate prices see-sawed this week as hot-rolled (HR) coil prices held their ground while prices for galvanized product slipped.