Steel Products Prices North America

SMU Price Ranges & Indices for Last Week: Rolled Over
Written by Brett Linton
December 26, 2018
Steel Market Update rolled flat rolled and plate steel prices for this past week (Dec, 26, 2018) due to limited data being available due to the holidays. We will produce new pricing on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019. Our Price Momentum Indicator continues to point toward “Lower” prices on flat rolled (hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized and Galvalume) and is Neutral on plate steels.
Here is how we see prices this week (as of Dec. 26, 2018):
Hot Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $710-$780 per ton ($35.50/cwt-$39.00/cwt) with an average of $745 per ton ($37.25/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. Both the lower and upper ends of our range remained unchanged compared to one week ago. Our overall average remained the same 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: 2-5 weeks
Cold Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $840-$880 per ton ($42.00/cwt-$44.00/cwt) with an average of $860 per ton ($43.00/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. Both the lower and upper ends of our range remained unchanged compared to last week. Our overall average remained the same 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 $41.00/cwt-$44.00/cwt ($820-$880 per ton) with an average of $42.50/cwt ($850 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. Both the lower and upper ends of our range remained unchanged compared to one week ago. Our overall average remained the same 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 $898-$958 per net ton with an average of $928 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.
Galvanized Lead Times: 5-8 weeks
Galvalume Coil: SMU base price range is $41.00/cwt-$44.50/cwt ($820-$890 per ton) with an average of $42.75/cwt ($855 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. Both the lower and upper ends of our range remained unchanged compared to last week. Our overall average remained the same 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 $1,111-$1,181 per net ton with an average of $1,146 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.
Galvalume Lead Times: 5-7 weeks
Plate: SMU price range is $970-$1,030 per ton ($48.50/cwt-$51.50/cwt) with an average of $1,000 per ton ($50.00/cwt) FOB delivered to the customer’s facility. Both the lower and upper ends of our range remained unchanged compared to one week ago. Our overall average remained the same compared to last week. Our price momentum on plate steel is Neutral meaning we expect stable prices over the next 30 days. 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
Read more from Brett LintonLatest in Steel Products Prices North America
SMU Price Ranges: Sheet Slips Again on Strike, But Is a Bottom in Sight?
Sheet prices slipped again this week on news of the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike and continued caution among some consumers.
HRC vs. Galv Price Spread Widened This Summer
The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and galvanized sheet base prices widened throughout the summer as hot rolled prices declined faster than those of galvanized.
SMU Price Ranges: Sheet Slips Again on UAW Strike Fears
Sheet prices fell across the board ahead of what many market participants predict will be a strike by the United Auto Workers (UAW) later this week.

Nucor Lowers Plate Prices by $40/t
Nucor Corp. will lower plate prices by $40 per ton ($2 per cwt) with the opening of its October order book.
SMU Price Ranges: Sheet Prices Move Lower, No Bottom Yet
Sheet prices have fallen this week, after a small pause last week when prices saw mixed results. Tags have now been largely trending lower since July.