Steel Products Prices North America

March Steel Imports Trending Toward 3.5 Million Tons
Written by Brett Linton
March 29, 2018
The steel import trend for the month of March is now approaching 3.5 million tons. This trend is based on license data through the 26th of March. If the month ultimately comes in above 3.2 million tons, it will top both the 12-month and the 3-month moving averages for steel imports.
SMU assumes that a portion of the increase above the January and February numbers is due to the March 23 deadline for the Section 232 tariffs. If traders could get the boats in, or at least get the paperwork through the system in time to beat the deadline, they have done so.
There is a big move in semi-finished steels (mostly slabs) now trending toward 835,000 tons.
There is also a big move in OCTG (oil country tubular goods), hot rolled and galvanized steels, which all are trending above their 12-month and 3-month moving averages.
SMU has spoken to a number of traders who indicate we may not see a huge drop-off in imports for the month of April. The combination of boats on the water, plus the fact that foreign is so much cheaper than current spot pricing out of the domestic mills, is keeping the steel coming.
We will continue to follow developments regarding imports for both March and April as data becomes available.

Brett Linton
Read more from Brett LintonLatest in Steel Products Prices North America

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.

Nucor carries $875/ton HR list price into week seven
Nucor is keeping hot-rolled (HR) coil prices unchanged again this week, according to its latest consumer spot price (CSP) notice issued on Monday, Oct. 6

SMU Price Ranges: A newsy week sees modest price gains despite a quiet spot market
Market participants predicted that prices should be at or near a bottom. But while most seemed to agree on that point, many also said they saw little upside given a quiet spot market and ongoing concerns about demand.

Nucor increases plate prices by $60/ton
Nucor aims to increase prices for steel plate by $60 per short ton with the opening of its November order book.