Offshore CRC Price Advantage Expands as US Tags Move Higher

Imports of cold-rolled coil (CRC) extended their pricing advantage over domestic product as US mills continued to drive prices higher, according to Steel Market Update’s latest foreign vs. domestic price analysis of the CRC market.

US mills have announced multiple rounds of price increases since the beginning of the year, widening the gap between US and foreign CRC. With lead times also extended, currently averaging eight weeks for cold-rolled, the advantage domestic CRC had enjoyed over offshore product appears to have dissipated.

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.