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 slips, hopes for Q4 rebound still standing
SMU’s price ranges were mixed again this week as the market continues to seek a floor amid industry hopes for a Q4 rebound.

Nucor’s hot band list price holds at $875/ton
Nucor held its hot-rolled coil list price flat again this week, according to its Monday, Sept. 15 consumer spot price (CSP) notice.

Market says cutting interest rates will spur stalled domestic plate demand
Market sources say demand for domestic plate refuses to budge despite stagnating prices.

SMU Price Ranges: Some predict bottom is near as big discounts dry up
Sheet prices were mixed this week as some mills continued to offer significant discounts to larger buyers while others have shifted toward being more disciplined, market participants said.

SMU Price Ranges: Tags mixed as uncertainty weighs on market
SMU’s hot-rolled (HR) coil price held steady this week while prices for other sheet and plate products declined.