Steel Products Prices North America

January Imports Continue Trend Toward Low to Mid 2 Million Tons
Written by John Packard
January 19, 2016
The U.S. Department of Commerce released foreign steel import license data for the month of January. Based on license data through the 19th of January steel imports are trending toward a 2.3-2.5 million net ton month. If the trend continues the month would be well below both the 3 month and 12 month moving averages and in line with November and December.
SMU likes to look at the data and compare it against other months at this point of the month (approximately 16-22 days of license data). We want to see how the daily license rate compares and as you can see by the table below January daily rate is below that of September, October, November and December. We have highlighted the four main flat rolled products and provided their trend line during this time period to give you a better feel for the direction imports of these products are headed.

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.