Steel Products Prices North America

SMU Imports Report: Cut to Length Plate
Written by Peter Wright
March 20, 2019
Each month, Steel Market Update produces an import analysis by region for two of the six flat rolled product groups (HRC, CRC, HDG, OMC, cut to length (CTL) plate and coiled plate). This month we are focusing on plate products. The intent of these regional updates is to bridge the gap between our monthly license data summaries and the detailed monthly reports we produce for premium subscribers that cover import volume by port and source.
In 2018 YTD December, 39.4 percent of all cut to length plate imports came in through the Great Lakes ports. The Gulf was in 2nd place with 31.0 percent and the Rio Grande Valley third with 10.5 percent. Only 8.0 percent of the total came into the whole Atlantic coast and only 11.0 percent into the whole Pacific coast (Figure 1).
Imports into the U.S. as a whole were down by 22.9 percent in 2018 compared to 2017, but the tonnage coming over the Rio Grande was down by 41.9 percent and tonnage into the Great Lakes, which was the highest volume district, was down by 16.9 percent. Figure 2 shows the percent change by region in 2018 compared to 2017.
Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 show the history of CTL plate imports by region since March 2013 on a three-month moving average basis.
Imports through the Pacific coast ports has been very erratic since the beginning of 2016 and currently both the North and South ports are at a low point.
CTL plate imports into the North Atlantic ports collapsed from mid-2016 to mid-2017. There was a partial recovery in early summer of 2018 before another collapse. Imports into the South Atlantic have been minimal throughout the whole time frame of this study.
Import volume into the Gulf has declined drastically since early 2015, but has been fairly consistent since late 2016. Imports into the Great Lakes have been fairly consistent since 2013.
Tonnage out of Mexico, mostly through Laredo, increased strongly in 2017 and lost by the same amount in 2018.
Premium subscribers have access to detailed reports by district and source nation on our website in the Analysis> Imports/Export section.

Peter Wright
Read more from Peter WrightLatest in Steel Products Prices North America

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).

Domestic plate prices could heat up despite so-so demand, market sources say
Some sources also speculated that plate could see further price increases thanks to modest but steady demand, lower imports, mill maintenance outages, and end markets less immediately affected by tariff-related disruptions.