Steel Products Prices North America

SMU Price Ranges & Indices: Hot Rolled Holds Its Own, But…

Written by Brett Linton

July 22, 2020

Hot roll steel held its own this week, remaining at an average price of $460 per ton. Cold rolled, galvanized and Galvalume prices slipped by a further $5-10 per ton, however, based on Steel Market Update’s latest check of the market. SMU will leave its price momentum indicators unchanged—pointing lower for HR, CR and galv—until we see how the market reacts to the $40 price increase announced by the mills today.

Here is how we see prices this week:

Hot Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $430-$490 per ton ($21.50-$24.50/cwt) with an average of $460 per ton ($23.00/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range decreased $10 per ton compared to one week ago, while the upper end increased $10. Our overall average is unchanged over last week. Our price momentum on hot rolled steel is at Lower, meaning we expect prices to decline over the next 30-60 days.

Hot Rolled Lead Times: 3-4 weeks

Cold Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $630-$670 per ton ($31.50-$33.50/cwt) with an average of $650 per ton ($32.50/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. Both the lower and upper ends of our range declined $10 per ton compared to last week. Our overall average is down $10 per ton over one week ago. Our price momentum on cold rolled steel is at Lower, meaning we expect prices to decline over the next 30-60 days.

Cold Rolled Lead Times: 4-8 weeks

Galvanized Coil: SMU price range is $620-$660 per ton ($31.00-$33.00/cwt) with an average of $640 per ton ($32.00/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 decreased $20. Our overall average declined $10 over last week. Our price momentum on galvanized steel is at Lower, meaning we expect prices to decline over the next 30-60 days.

Galvanized .060” G90 Benchmark: SMU price range is $689-$729 per net ton with an average of $709 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvanized Lead Times: 4-6 weeks

Galvalume Coil: SMU price range is $650-$690 per ton ($32.50-$34.50/cwt) with an average of $670 per ton ($33.50/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range decreased $10 compared to last week, while the upper end remained unchanged. Our overall average is down $5 per ton over 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 $941-$981 per net ton with an average of $961 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvalume Lead Times: 5-8 weeks

Plate: SMU price range is $590-$610 per ton ($29.50-$30.50/cwt) with an average of $600 per ton ($30.00/cwt) FOB delivered to the customer’s facility. The lower end of our range increased $10 per ton compared to one week ago, while the upper end decreased $20. Our overall average is down $5 over last week. Our price momentum on plate steel is at Neutral until the market establishes a clear direction.

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. If you need help navigating the website or need to know your login information, contact us at info@SteelMarketUpdate.com.

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.

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