Steel Mill Lead Times are Shrinking

Hot rolled lead times slipped to 4.26 weeks. At the beginning of April lead times on HRC were reported to be 5 weeks (4.94 weeks). One year ago HRC lead times were 5.36 weeks.

Cold rolled lead times also dropped and were averaging 6.19 weeks down from 6.46 weeks at the beginning of May (6.78 weeks at the beginning of April). One year ago, CRC lead times were close to 8 weeks (7.92 weeks).

Galvanized lead times average 6.51 weeks, down from 6.82 weeks just two weeks earlier. One year ago, GI lead times averaged 8.53 weeks in mid-May 2016.

Galvalume lead times also dropped from 6.89 weeks at the beginning of the month of May and this week’s 6.25 week average. One year ago, AZ lead times were reported to be 8.44 weeks.

SMU Note: The data for both lead times and negotiations comes from only service center and manufacturer respondents. We do not include commentary from the steel mills, trading companies, or toll processors in this particular group of questions.

To see an interactive history of our Steel Mill Negotiations data, visit our website here.