Domestic HRC Competitive Advantage Over Import Prices Slips

Domestic hot-rolled coil (HRC) continues to hold a competitive price advantage over imported steel, though it has declined over the past couple of weeks, according to Steel Market Update’s latest foreign vs. domestic price analysis.

US HRC is approximately just 1–8% cheaper than foreign prices this week, after consideration of freight costs, trader margins, and any applicable tariffs. This is the 11th consecutive week US prices have been cheaper than foreign prices for all three regions we follow. HRC prices for all regions increased week over week, with the average spread shrinking from $61 per ton last week to $38 per ton this week.

David Schollaert

David Schollaert is deputy editor-in-chief for Steel Market Update. David joined SMU after more than a decade in the metals and mining industry in a myriad of different roles. Much of his early experience and expertise were within the coverage and analysis of steel-making raw materials and served previously as senior editor of the CRU Prices Service. Most recently, however, before his return to market analysis, David held roles as a metals buyer and an operations manager for raw material suppliers. He can be contacted at david@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-720-1008.