Steel Products Prices North America

Steel Import Data is Back
Written by Brett Linton
January 31, 2019
The U.S. Department of Commerce released import license data through the month of December 2018 earlier this week. The December license data is showing a large reduction in semi-finished imports (mostly slabs going to domestic steel mills). SMU believes the lower slab numbers may be due to quotas from Brazil having been reached, thus capping what was being allowed to come in. We believe the January slab numbers will be quite high as the quotas open back up for 1st Quarter 2019. We also saw a reduction in finished steels. Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) imports were much lower than the 12-month and 3-month moving averages. Galvanized imports were down as was Galvalume and cut plate. It will be interesting to see what the January numbers look like when the data is finally available from the USDOC.
To see an interactive history of total steel imports (through October final data), visit our website here. If you need assistance logging into or navigating the website, please contact info@SteelMarketUpdate.com.
Brett Linton
Read more from Brett LintonLatest in Steel Products Prices North America
BREAKING NEWS: NLMK USA up $50/ton on HR and CR, up $100/ton on coated
NLMK USA plans to increase prices for hot-rolled and cold-rolled coil by at least $50 per short ton (st). The move is effective immediately for all spot orders, the steelmaker said in a letter to customers on Friday.
SMU Price Ranges: Sheet floor holds as market debates upside
Our average HR coil price increased $5/short ton from last week, marking a second consecutive week of modest gains. Market participants generally attributed the increase to...
Thin demand keeps plate prices hovering at lowest levels since February
Participants in the domestic plate market say spot prices appear to have hit the floor, and they continue to linger there. They say demand for steel remains thin, with plate products no exception.
SMU Price Ranges: HR crawls back to $800/ton
SMU’s HR price stands at $800/st on average, up $5/st from last week. The modest gain came as the low end of our range firmed, and despite the high end of our range declining slightly.
SMU successfully completes IOSCO review
SMU has successfully completed an external review of all our prices. The review has concluded that they algin with principles set by the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).

