Steel Mill Lead Times: Extend Even Further

Cold rolled lead times are at 8.39 weeks, up from 7.77 weeks in SMU’s prior check of the market and 7.17 at this point last month. Cold rolled lead times are three weeks longer than in late April.

Galvanized lead times are have jumped out to 8.61 weeks, up from 7.73 weeks a month ago. The current average Galvalume lead time is up to 9.23 weeks as supplies of that product remain especially tight.

Plate lead times are slightly extended at 5.60 weeks, but have been fairly flat over the past two months as weakness in key plate markets has tempered demand and pricing.

The market is keeping a close watch for a change of direction in lead times, which might suggest steel prices are beginning to peak, but there’s no sign of any shortening so far.

Note: These lead times are based on the average from manufacturers and steel service centers who participated in this week’s SMU market trends analysis. Our lead times do not predict what any individual may get from any specific mill supplier. Look to your mill rep for actual lead times. Our lead times are meant only to identify trends and changes in the marketplace. To see an interactive history of our Steel Mill Lead Times data, visit our website here.