Steel Mill Lead Times Tick Downward, Willingness to Negotiate Rising

Steel Market Update’s latest check of the market indicates steel mill lead times are slowly reverting back towards historical norms for most sheet products, while Galvalume and plate lead times inched up compared to two weeks prior. Lead times are now in line with levels seen in the beginning of 2022.

Buyers surveyed this week reported mill lead times ranging from 3–8 weeks for hot rolled, 5–10 weeks for cold rolled, 5–9 weeks for galvanized, 7–9 weeks for Galvalume, and 4–7 weeks for plate.

Brett Linton

Brett Linton is a digital operations 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.