Steel Products Prices North America

SMU Price Ranges & Indices: Flat Rolled Prices Moving Higher

Written by Brett Linton

July 23, 2019

Flat rolled steel prices continued their march higher – even prior to the ArcelorMittal USA price increase announcement. The domestic mills are determined to move prices higher. As one mill executive put it to Steel Market Update today, “I think the fall from $940 to $505 was too much, too fast. Way overshot a fair value. So, just adjusting to where the prices should be, in my opinion…”

Price momentum continues to be referenced as being “Higher” on all flat rolled products. However, the plate momentum is referenced as being “Lower” as plate resisted moving lower earlier this year as flat rolled prices tumbled.

Here is how we see prices this week:

Hot Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $530-$590 per ton ($26.50-$29.50/cwt) with an average of $560 per ton ($28.00/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. Both the lower and upper ends of our range rose $10 per ton compared to one week ago. Our overall average is up $10 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on hot rolled steel is now Higher meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.

Hot Rolled Lead Times: 2-6 weeks

Cold Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $680-$740 per ton ($34.00-$37.00/cwt) with an average of $710 per ton ($35.50/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. Both the lower and upper ends of our range remained the same compared to last week. Our overall average is unchanged compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on cold rolled steel is now Higher meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.

Cold Rolled Lead Times: 5-7 weeks

Galvanized Coil: SMU base price range is $35.00-$38.00/cwt ($700-$760 per ton) with an average of $36.50/cwt ($730 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range remained the same compared to one week ago, while the upper end rose $20 per ton. Our overall average is up $10 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on galvanized steel is now Higher meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.

Galvanized .060” G90 Benchmark: SMU price range is $778-$838 per net ton with an average of $808 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvanized Lead Times: 4-10 weeks

Galvalume Coil: SMU base price range is $37.00-$39.50/cwt ($740-$790 per ton) with an average of $38.25/cwt ($765 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. Both the lower and upper ends of our range rose $30 per ton compared to last week. Our overall average is up $30 per ton compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on Galvalume steel is now Higher meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.

Galvalume .0142” AZ50, Grade 80 Benchmark: SMU price range is $1,031-$1,081 per net ton with an average of $1,056 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvalume Lead Times: 6-8 weeks

Plate: SMU price range is $740-$820 per ton ($37.00-$41.00/cwt) with an average of $780 per ton ($39.00/cwt) FOB delivered to the customer’s facility. Both the lower and upper ends of our range remained the same compared to one week ago. Our overall average is unchanged compared to last week. Our price momentum on plate steel is Lower, meaning we expect prices to decline over the next 30 days.

Plate Lead Times: 2-5 weeks

SMU Note: Below is a graphic showing our hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized, Galvalume and plate price history. This data is available here on our website with our interactive pricing tool. Note that plate prices are not yet available on our website, but we are in the process of adding that dataset. If you need help navigating the website or need to know your login information, contact us at info@SteelMarketUpdate.com or 800-432-3475.

Brett Linton

Brett Linton is a senior analyst for Steel Market Update, where he began his career. Linton has been in the steel industry since 2010. He has held roles as a category manager and strategic insights director at Reibus before returning to SMU in 2024. He is a graduate of The University of North Georgia with a degree in Finance and Accounting. Brett can be reached at brett@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-314-0179.

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