Foreign vs. Domestic HRC Prices: Imports Losing Appeal

The temptation to purchase foreign hot rolled coil (HRC) over domestic steel remains high, but imports are not as competitive as they had been, according to SMU’s latest foreign versus domestic HRC price comparison.

Between mid-April and late May, foreign steel prices generally declined at a faster rate than domestic prices, resulting in greater potential discounts on imported products. This week, foreign prices declined at a lesser rate than domestic prices (our HRC index decreased at the highest week-over-week rate since mid-February). Select foreign prices now range between $103-171 per ton cheaper than domestic prices, after taking freight costs, trader margins and tariffs into consideration.

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.

Brett Linton

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