Steel Products Prices North America

SMU Price Ranges & Indices: Another Dip in the Numbers

Written by Brett Linton

November 20, 2018

Flat rolled steel prices dropped again this week. One of our domestic steel mill sources told us this afternoon, “Everything is down about a buck from last week.” This source went on to say that the U.S. steel mills are producing more and exporting less. The net result being there is more supply available.

Here is how we see prices this week:

Hot Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $730-$820 per ton ($36.50/cwt-$41.00/cwt) with an average of $775 per ton ($38.75/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range fell $40 per ton compared to one week ago, while the upper end declined $10 per ton. Our overall average is down $25 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on hot rolled steel is Lower meaning we expect prices to decline over the next 30 to 60 days.

Hot Rolled Lead Times: 3-6 weeks

Cold Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $850-$920 per ton ($42.50/cwt-$46.00/cwt) with an average of $885 per ton ($44.25/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range fell $30 compared to last week, while the upper end remained the same. Our overall average is down $15 per ton compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on cold rolled steel is Lower meaning we expect prices to decline over the next 30 to 60 days.

Cold Rolled Lead Times: 4-7 weeks

Galvanized Coil: SMU base price range is $42.50/cwt-$46.00/cwt ($850-$920 per ton) with an average of $44.25/cwt ($885 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range fell $20 per ton compared to one week ago, while the upper end declined $10 per ton. Our overall average is down $15 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on galvanized steel is Lower meaning we expect prices to decline over the next 30 to 60 days.

Galvanized .060” G90 Benchmark: SMU price range is $928-$998 per net ton with an average of $963 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvanized Lead Times: 4-7 weeks

Galvalume Coil: SMU base price range is $43.50/cwt-$46.00/cwt ($870-$920 per ton) with an average of $44.75/cwt ($895 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range fell $20 compared to last week, while the upper end remained the same. Our overall average is down $10 per ton compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on Galvalume steel is Lower meaning we expect prices to decline over the next 30 to 60 days.

Galvalume .0142” AZ50, Grade 80 Benchmark: SMU price range is $1,161-$1,211 per net ton with an average of $1,186 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvalume Lead Times: 6-8 weeks

Plate: SMU price range is $980-$1,040 per ton ($49.00/cwt-$52.00/cwt) with an average of $1,010 per ton ($50.50/cwt) FOB delivered to the customer’s facility. Both the lower and upper ends of our range remained the same compared to one week ago. Our overall average is also unchanged compared to last week. Our price momentum on plate steel is Neutral meaning we expect stable prices once the mills open their December order books. The domestic plate mills continue to be on controlled order entry as their order books are strong with limited spot plate tonnage available.

Plate Lead Times: 5-9 weeks, allocation/controlled order entry

SMU Note: Below is a graphic showing our hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized, Galvalume and plate price history. This data is available here on our website with our interactive pricing tool. Note that plate prices are not yet available on our website, but we are in the process of adding that dataset. If you need help navigating the website or need to know your login information, contact us at info@SteelMarketUpdate.com or 800-432-3475.

Brett Linton

Brett Linton is a senior analyst for Steel Market Update, where he began his career. Linton has been in the steel industry since 2010. He has held roles as a category manager and strategic insights director at Reibus before returning to SMU in 2024. He is a graduate of The University of North Georgia with a degree in Finance and Accounting. Brett can be reached at brett@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-314-0179.

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