Steel Products Prices North America

SMU Price Ranges & Indices: Not Much Change

Written by Brett Linton

May 12, 2020

Despite announcements by the major mills of price increases or higher base prices, flat rolled steel prices saw relatively little change in the past week as the market continues to struggle with weak demand due to the coronavirus shutdowns.Steel Market Update’s Price Momentum remains at Neutral.

Here is how we are seeing prices this week:

Hot Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $440-$500 per ton ($22.00-$25.00/cwt) with an average of $470 per ton ($23.50/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. Both the lower and upper ends of our range remained the same compared to one week ago. Our overall average is unchanged over last week. Our price momentum on hot rolled steel is Neutral until the market establishes a clear direction.

Hot Rolled Lead Times: 3-4 weeks

Cold Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $650-$700 per ton ($32.50-$35.00/cwt) with an average of $675 per ton ($33.75/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range decreased $10 per ton over last week, while the upper end rose $20 per ton. Our overall average is up $5 per ton compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on cold rolled steel is at Neutral until the market establishes a clear direction.

Cold Rolled Lead Times: 4-6 weeks

Galvanized Coil: SMU price range is $640-$710 per ton ($32.00-$35.50/cwt) with an average of $675 per ton ($33.75/cwt) 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 $10 per ton. Our overall average is up $5 per ton over last week. Our price momentum on galvanized steel is at Neutral until the market establishes a clear direction.

Galvanized .060” G90 Benchmark: SMU price range is $709-$779 per net ton with an average of $744 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvanized Lead Times: 3-7 weeks

Galvalume Coil: SMU price range is $660-$710 per ton ($33.00-$35.50/cwt) with an average of $685 per ton ($34.25/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range increased $20 per ton over last week, while the upper end rose $10 per ton. Our overall average is up $15 per ton compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on Galvalume steel is at Neutral until the market establishes a clear direction.

Galvalume .0142” AZ50, Grade 80 Benchmark: SMU price range is $951-$1,001 per net ton with an average of $976 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvalume Lead Times: 3-7 weeks

Plate: SMU price range is $570-$610 per ton ($28.50-$30.50/cwt) with an average of $590 per ton ($29.50/cwt) FOB delivered to the customer’s facility. Both the lower and upper ends of our range decreased $10 per ton compared to one week ago. Our overall average is down $10 per ton over last week. Our price momentum on plate steel is Lower, meaning we expect prices to decline over the next 30 days.

Plate Lead Times: 3-5 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.

Steel Market Update Steel Price Indices

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.

Read more from Brett Linton

Latest in Steel Products Prices North America