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.
Brett Linton
Read more from Brett LintonLatest in Steel Products Prices North America
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.
SMU Price Ranges: HR holds, galv slips amid competing market narratives
SMU’s sheet and plate prices see-sawed this week as hot-rolled (HR) coil prices held their ground while prices for galvanized product slipped.