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    Plate

    Imports of Plate Products Strong in 2015

    Written by Brett Linton


    With Nucor CEO John Ferriola commenting today about the surge in steel plate imports over the last two months into the United States, Steel Market Update thought we would do a piece showing plate imports over the last few years and how they compare to recent levels.

    The monthly average import rate of plate in coils in 2013 was 93,176 net tons, which nearly doubled in 2014 to a monthly average of 183,953 tons. The 2015 monthly average through March is 244,564 tons. January 2015 imports of plate in coils were 248,608 tons, followed by 223,206 tons in February. March license data puts plate in coil imports at 261,879 tons.

    Brett Linton

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    Plate supply squeeze tightens as demand presses higher

    The domestic plate market is showing few signs of relief for steel buyers. Lead times are stretching well beyond seasonal norms, spot availability has all but evaporated, and mills are drawing hard lines on contract volumes heading into 2027 negotiations. And the supply squeeze will likely intensify in a market that some industry sources say is structurally undersupplied because of stringent US trade and tariff policies. Imports have been arriving in larger volumes, and the expectation is they will continue to tick higher into 2027. The big question is whether those foreign tons will arrive in volumes sufficient to provide the relief steel consumers want.