Steel Products Prices North America

Nucor Says Plate Tags Unchanged in First Price Announcement of '22

Written by Michael Cowden

January 3, 2022

Nucor has decided to keep plate prices unchanged with the opening of its February order book.

The current plate pricing levels – announced on Monday, Jan. 3, and effective immediately – are the same as those rolled out in late November for January orders.

NucorThe Charlotte, N.C.-based steelmaker’s letter to customers also marks the first price announcement of 2022, market participants said.

Nucor’s base price for cut-to-length A36 plate remains at $1,815 per ton ($90.75/cwt) ex works.

The company’s price for normalized A516-70 product continues to be at $2,015 per ton ($100.75/cwt) ex works.

And its base price for quenched-and-tempered Grade A514 material with a Grade B base is still at $2,375 per ton ($118.75/cwt) ex works.

“The above prices reflect a $0/ton change from our previous announcement of November 29th,” Nucor said in the letter.

Nucor in late November increased plate prices by $40 per ton ($2 per cwt).

SMU’s plate price was at $1,795 per ton ($89.75 cwt) when this article was filed, down 2.2% from $1,835 per ton in early December, according to our interactive price tool.

The unchanged pricing levels from Nucor, combined with falling sheet prices, have led some industry sources to question whether plate prices might have peaked.

By Michael Cowden, Michael@SteelMarketUpdate.com

Michael Cowden

Michael Cowden is managing editor for Steel Market Update. Cowden has covered the steel industry since 2007. He specializes in flat-rolled steel but has also reported on steel long products, steel pipe and tube, and aluminum. Before joining SMU, Cowden held reporting jobs at Fastmarkets AMM in Chicago, the Associated Press in Pittsburgh, and the Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh. He has also worked as a copy editor and in marketing at the University of Chicago Press. Cowden has a BA in English from the University of Chicago and an MSJ journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Contact him at michael@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7872.

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