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 Survey: Buyers’ Sentiment rebounds from multi-year low
Both of SMU’s Steel Buyers’ Sentiment Indices edged higher this week. Current Sentiment rebounded from a near five-year low, while Future Sentiment rose to a two-month high

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: Sheet lead times pull back after early-June blip, plate holds
Following the uptick seen two weeks ago, lead times eased this week for all four sheet products tracked by SMU, while plate lead times held steady, according to this week’s market survey.

SMU Survey: Pricing power abruptly shifts to steel buyers
The majority of steel buyers responding to our latest market survey say domestic mills are more willing to talk price on sheet and plate products than they were earlier this month. Sheet negotiation rates rebounded across the board compared to early June, while our plate negotiation rate hit a full 100%.

Service centers: Mill orders down marginally in May
SMU’s Mill Order Index (MOI) declined for a third straight month in May, but only marginally.