Market Data
May 25, 2023
Hot Rolled Lead Times See Biggest Decline Since January 2022
Written by Becca Moczygemba
Steel mill lead times have encountered some of the biggest two-week declines we’ve seen for some time, to the lowest levels we’ve seen since mid-March, according to SMU’s latest steel market survey data.
Hot rolled in particular saw the steepest two-week decline since late January 2022, when lead times dropped by 0.86 weeks. This week, SMU’s hot rolled lead times are 3 to 7 weeks with an average of 5.1 weeks. The average slipped from 5.8 weeks at the previous market check two weeks ago.

