SMU Data and Models
Mill Price Negotiations: Still Flexible?
Written by John Packard
June 7, 2015
Our respondents to last week’s flat rolled steel market survey continue to report prices as being negotiable, maybe not to the degree we have been seeing since the beginning of the year, but negotiable non-the-less. However, we need to remember that the vast majority of our responses were made prior to the anti-dumping trade suit being filed. So, we need to take the results with that in mind.
As you can see by the graphic below, 66 percent of the respondents reported hot rolled pricing as negotiable, 75 percent reported cold rolled pricing as negotiable, 73 percent galvanized and 60 percent Galvalume.
We will be interested to see what happens in our next survey now that the corrosion resistant anti-dumping suit has been filed.
John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in SMU Data and Models
Apparent steel supply increases in June
The amount of finished steel coming into the US market increased 3% from May to June, climbing to one of the highest rates seen in recent years, according to SMU’s analysis of Department of Commerce and American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) data
SMU Survey: Modest improvement in Sentiment Indices
Both SMU Sentiment Indices continue to show that buyers remain optimistic for their company’s chances of success, though far less confident than they felt earlier in the year.
SMU flat-rolled market survey results now available
SMU’s Aug. 8, 2025, steel buyers market survey results are now available on our website to all premium members.
SMU’s July at a glance
SMU’s Monthly Review provides a summary of our key steel market metrics for the previous month, with the latest data updated through July 31.
SMU Survey: Mills maintain short lead times on sheet
Mill production times for sheet products are holding just above multi-year lows, while plate lead times remain elevated.