Steel Products Prices North America

Final October Foreign Steel Imports at 3.1 Million Tons
Written by John Packard
December 7, 2017
Final October imports were reported to be 3,148,243 net tons, according to U.S. Department of Commerce data released earlier this week.
Total October imports were up 2.0 percent over September, and up 16.0 percent compared to levels one year ago.
The Commerce Department also released license data this week that now suggests foreign steel imports in November 2017 will reach 2.8 million net tons. This is about 200,000 tons greater than what the import license data was showing one week ago.
Finished steel imports (removing semi-finished imports, mostly slabs and some billets being sold to domestic producers) are coming in around 2.3 million net tons.
SMU is seeing reductions in imports of the products we follow with the one exception being coiled plate.
Based on the license data for November, imports are 300,000 tons lower than the prior month. When compared to November 2016, imports are essentially unchanged.

John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Steel Products Prices North America

SMU price ranges: Flat-rolled balloon continues to leak
Sheet and plate prices were flat or lower again this week on continued concerns about demand and higher production rates among US mills.

HRC vs. busheling spread narrows in August
The price spread between prime scrap and hot-rolled coil (HRC) narrowed in August, according to SMU’s most recent pricing data.

SMU Price Ranges: Market drifts lower still
All five of SMU's steel sheet and plate price indices declined this week, falling to lows last seen in February.

Discontentment brews in plate market with flat, status-quo pricing
Sources in the carbon and alloy steel plate market said they are less discouraged by market uncertainty resulting from tariffs or foreign relations, but are instead, eager to see disruption to the flat pricing environment.

Nucor lowers HR coil spot price by $15/ton
Nucor has implemented a double-digit price decrease on spot hot-rolled (HR) coil for the second consecutive week.