SMU Data and Models

Steel Mill Negotiations: "Let's Talk Price!"

Written by Tim Triplett

June 6, 2019

It’s nearly unanimous that steel prices are in play. More than nine out of 10 flat rolled steel buyers responding to SMU’s market trends questionnaire this week reported that the mills are willing to negotiate price in order to secure the order. The vast majority even reported the mills willing to talk price on plate. With negotiations so wide open, steel prices are likely to remain under pressure.

About 97 percent of respondents said the mills are open to price negotiations on hot rolled, up 6 points from 91 percent two weeks ago. Just 3 percent said the mills are currently holding the line on HR.

In the cold rolled segment, 92 percent now report the mills open to price negotiations, up from 88 percent two weeks ago. Just 8 percent report current cold rolled prices as firm.

In the galvanized sector, 95 percent said the mills are flexible on price, a notable jump from the 83 percent in SMU’s last canvass. Just 5 percent report that galvanized prices are now nonnegotiable. Talks have loosened on Galvalume, as well, as 88 percent said the mills are now willing to talk price, up from 57 percent two weeks ago.

Negotiations on plate continue to open up, with 82 percent of buyers now reporting some flexibility in plate prices, up from 67 percent in mid-May.

Note: SMU surveys active steel buyers twice each month to gauge the willingness of their steel suppliers to negotiate pricing. The results reflect current steel demand and changing spot pricing trends. SMU provides our members with a number of ways to interact with current and historical data. To see an interactive history of our Steel Mill Negotiations data, visit our website here.

Tim Triplett

Read more from Tim Triplett

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