Distributors/Service Centers
March 16, 2023
Written by Michael Cowden
Ken Simonson, chief economist for The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), will be the featured speaker on the next SMU Community Chat webinar on Wednesday, March 22, at 11 a.m. ET.
The live webinar is free. A recording will be available free to SMU members. You can register here.
SMU’s latest Flat-Rolled Steel Survey points to largely stable demand, but foreign steel orders have softened since the previous survey, and service centers continue to report stronger activity than manufacturers.
The results of the latest Steel Market Update (SMU) flat-rolled market survey are now available on our website to all premium members.
The overall mill negotiation rate ticked up slightly this week, but the overwhelming majority of buyers are still finding mills inflexible on price, according to our latest survey data.
US sheet buyers have grappled with supply scarcity in both the spot and contract markets throughout 2026. Now the supply squeeze is spilling over into 2027, according to market participants.
SMU’s Mill Order Index (MOI) accelerated in August for a fourth consecutive month, reaching its strongest reading in nearly five years.