Steel Products Prices North America

U.S. Steel Raises Flat Rolled Price by $40
Written by Tim Triplett
January 29, 2019
U.S. Steel is the latest mill to announce a price increase. Like Nucor, U.S. Steel notified its sales organization on Monday that its base pricing for all new flat rolled spot orders would increase by a minimum of $40 per net ton, effective immediately.
U.S. Steel’s last price change on flat rolled was also a $40 increase on Oct. 11, 2018. Since U.S. Steel and other major mills announced last October, steel prices have continued to slide. Steel Market Update data shows the average price of hot rolled on Oct. 9, 2018, was around $835 per net ton. The current price is approximately $685 per ton, an 18 percent decline.
West Coast mills California Steel Industries and USS-POSCO Industries were the first to announce $40 price increases on Monday of last week. In the coming weeks, the market will wait anxiously to see if some or all of the new price “sticks.”
Comments to Steel Market Update show a widespread differing of opinion on whether this latest round of price hikes signals a bottom for steel prices. Many are skeptical, while others are hopeful.
“My general feeling is that they will try hard to stick to their guns on this one,” predicted one buyer. “With Nucor’s announcement and U.S. Steel following suit, the rest of the market will join in and at least stop the bleeding.”

Tim Triplett
Read more from Tim TriplettLatest in Steel Products Prices North America

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.

Nucor’s $875/ton HR spot price spills into week six
Nucor is keeping hot-rolled (HR) coil prices unchanged again this week, according to its latest consumer spot price (CSP) notice issued on Monday, Sept. 29.