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    SMU Service Center Apparent Deficit Expected to Peak in May

    Written by John Packard


    A number of the Steel Market Update prognostications for service center inventories and shipments came true (well, almost).

    We forecast daily shipments would rise on a tons per day basis to 108,400 tons per day. In actuality they rose to 111,100 tons per day. Since April 2017 only had 19 shipping days (according to MSCI) our forecast for total monthly shipments 2,169,000 tons was close to the actual MSCI number of 2,111,000 tons. We correctly forecast shipments to drop from the 2,455,000 tons reported by the MSCI at the end of March.

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    SMU flat-rolled market survey results now available

    The results of the latest Steel Market Update (SMU) flat-rolled market survey are now available on our website to all premium members. After logging in, look under the Data tab for Market Reports, and there you will find the Flat-Rolled Survey Results section. Previous survey results are also available on that page. If you need help accessing these results, or if your company would like to have your voice heard in our future surveys, contact smu@crugroup.com.

    SMU Survey: Steel mill negotiations remain rare as buyers face tight supply

    Only 5% of steel buyers surveyed by SMU this week said mills were willing to negotiate lower prices for new spot orders, suggesting mills retain substantial pricing leverage in a tight market. The share rose two percentage points from our previous survey two weeks ago but was nine points below the mid-October reading. This week's rate is just slightly higher than our previous survey when the negotiation rate fell to 3% — its lowest level since July 2021. Negotiation rates have trended downward all year as steel prices have continued to climb.