Prices

Comparison Price Indices: Spread between HRC and CRC is $200 per ton
Written by John Packard
June 5, 2016
Compared to what we have been seeing over the past two months, price movement last week was modest with hot rolled barely moving (SMU no change and Platts +$5, SteelBenchmarker did not report last week). Our hot rolled average is now $632.50 per ton.
Cold rolled saw SMU take their price average up $15 per ton to $835 per ton while Platts remained the same at $830 per ton. Our cold rolled average is now $832.50 per ton.
The spread between the hot rolled average and that of cold rolled is $200 per ton.
SMU took galvanized up $10 and Galvalume up $5. Remember, galvanized numbers are based on .060” G90 while Galvalume numbers are based on .0142” AZ50, Grade 80.
The spread between hot rolled base price average and the average for galvanized is $207.50 per ton.
Plate prices dropped $10 per ton according to Platts.
FOB Points for each index:
SMU: Domestic Mill, East of the Rockies.
SteelBenchmarker: Domestic Mill, East of the Mississippi.
Platts: Northern Indiana Domestic Mill.
Note that SteelBenchmarker produces numbers twice per month. On the weeks they produce numbers we will include them in the average. The weeks where they do not produce numbers (NA = not available) we will not include their outdated numbers in the CPI average.
John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Prices
Final Thoughts
Most steel buyers think that steel prices will continue to rise into the 2026. But they don’t see the kinds of big gains that have characterized past market upturns, according to the results of SMU’s latest steel market survey.
SMU Survey: Mills less negotiable on spot prices
Most steel buyers responding to our market survey this week reported that domestic mills are considerably less willing to talk price on sheet and plate products than they were in recent weeks.
Price gap between US HRC, most imports narrows slightly
In dollar-per-ton terms, US product is on average $141/st less than landed import prices (inclusive of the 50% tariff). That’s down from $148/st last week.
SMU price ranges: Sheet ticks higher, plate stable
Sheet steel indices increased across the board this week, while plate prices held steady. All five of SMU’s price indices are higher than they were two weeks ago, and all but one are above levels recorded four weeks ago.
Nucor lifts HR spot price by $10/ton
Nucor has raised its weekly spot list price on hot-rolled coil by $10 per short ton (st) after keeping it unchanged since Aug. 25.

