Steel Products Prices North America

SMU Price Ranges & Indices: Benchmark HR Up $15

Written by Brett Linton

November 19, 2019

Benchmark hot rolled coil average pricing is up again this week as both the lower and upper ends of our range have increased compared to one week ago. We are still seeing some lower pricing which gives us pause, and we continue to seek more information on where prices are heading. The SMU Price Momentum Indicators on hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized and Galvalume are all pointing toward higher prices over the next 30 days. Our plate pricing indicator continues to be at Neutral as we watch market signals to see where plate prices will go from here. 

Here is how we see prices this week:

Hot Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $500-$570 per ton ($25.00-$28.50/cwt) with an average of $535 per ton ($26.75/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range increased $10 per ton compared to one week ago, while the upper end rose $20 per ton. Our overall average is up $15 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on hot rolled steel is Higher, meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.

Hot Rolled Lead Times: 3-6 weeks

Cold Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $690-$720 per ton ($34.50-$36.00/cwt) with an average of $705 per ton ($35.25/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range increased $30 per ton compared to last week, while the upper end remained the same. Our overall average is up $15 per ton compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on cold rolled steel is Higher, meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.

Cold Rolled Lead Times: 5-8 weeks

Galvanized Coil: SMU base price range is $35.00-$37.50/cwt ($700-$750 per ton) with an average of $36.25/cwt ($725 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. Both the lower and upper ends of our range increased $30 per ton compared to one week ago. Our overall average is up $30 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on galvanized steel is Higher, meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.

Galvanized .060” G90 Benchmark: SMU price range is $769-$819 per net ton with an average of $794 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvanized Lead Times: 6-9 weeks

Galvalume Coil: SMU base price range is $35.00-$37.00/cwt ($700-$740 per ton) with an average of $36.00/cwt ($720 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range remained the same compared to last week, while the upper end increased $20 per ton. Our overall average is up $10 per ton compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on Galvalume steel is Higher, meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.

Galvalume .0142” AZ50, Grade 80 Benchmark: SMU price range is $991-$1,031 per net ton with an average of $1,011 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvalume Lead Times: 6-10 weeks

Plate: SMU price range is $630-$720 per ton ($31.50-$36.00/cwt) with an average of $675 per ton ($33.75/cwt) FOB delivered to the customer’s facility. The lower end of our range remained the same compared to one week ago, while the upper end rose $40 per ton. Our overall average is up $20 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on plate steel is Neutral, meaning we expect prices to remain steady over the next 30 days.

Plate Lead Times: 3-6 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.

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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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