SMU Data and Models
Steel Mill Negotiations: Who Isn't?
Written by John Packard
February 5, 2015
It doesn’t get any clearer than this. Based on the results of the respondents to this week’s flat rolled market questionnaire, the domestic steel mills are willing to negotiate pricing on all flat rolled products: hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized and Galvalume (zinc-aluminum).
Hot rolled came in with 95 percent of our respondents reporting the mills as willing to negotiate HR pricing.
Cold rolled saw 96 percent of our respondents reporting the mills as being willing to discuss CR pricing.
Galvanized had the lowest percentage with only 94 percent reporting the mills as willing to negotiate GI pricing.
While Galvalume had the highest percentage (higher than the 96 percent for CR) as 100 percent of the respondents reported AZ prices as being negotiable.
John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in SMU Data and Models
SMU Steel Demand Index still lags
The Steel Demand Index now stands at 42, up from 38.5 in early July, but off from a four-year high of 65.0 in late February.
SMU Price Ranges: Sheet prices tick lower, but floor remains high vs. ’24
Sheet prices slipped again this week amid discounting from certain mills and ongoing concerns about demand.
SMU Survey: Steel Buyer Sentiment Indices soften
SMU’s Steel Buyers’ Sentiment Indices eased this week, both approaching multi-year lows.
SMU flat-rolled market survey results now available
SMU’s latest steel buyers market survey results are now available on our website to all premium members.
SMU Survey: Mill lead times remain short
Steel mill lead times on sheet products contracted across the board this week compared to early July, while plate production times moderately extended, according to steel buyers responding to this week’s market survey.