Steel Mills
Nucor Moves Sheet Up $50/ton, Targets $900/ton HRC
Written by David Schollaert
June 16, 2023
Nucor aims to increase base prices for new orders of steel sheet by at least $50 per ton ($2.50 per cwt), effective immediately.
The Charlotte, N.C.-based steelmaker also said that its new base price for hot-rolled coil (HRC) was $900 per ton.
“We reserve the right to review and re-quote any offers that are not confirmed with either a Nucor sales acknowledgment or written acceptance by both parties,” the company said in a letter to customers on Friday, June 16.
Nucor’s move is notable because it piggybacks on its competitor U.S. Steel’s recent pricing notice, which on Wednesday, June 14, announced its own $50-per-ton sheet price hike.
U.S. Steel didn’t set an HRC base price at the time, however.
Some market participants have told SMU that they don’t anticipate the current increases will really stick, but rather to stop the bleeding and create a base price from which to discount.
This is Nucor’s first HRC price increase since March 3, when the steelmaker announced a $150-per-ton increase, effectively pushing HRC base prices to $1,150 per ton. The market was in a different place at the time as tags were at the tail end of a 20-week price rally that swelled by $545 per ton, peaking at $1,160 per ton back on April 11.
SMU’s hot-rolled coil price stands at $930 per ton, down nearly 20% from the 2023 peak, and marking the lowest point for HRC prices since late February.
You can also keep track of prices increases with SMU’s price increase calendar.
By David Schollaert, david@steelmarketupdate.com
David Schollaert
Read more from David SchollaertLatest in Steel Mills
Cliffs unveils new hydrogen-powered stainless line in Ohio
CEO Lourenco Goncalves, flanked by state leaders and union reps, touted the project as proof that US manufacturing is not only alive, but also advancing.
Cliffs idles Steelton, Riverdale, and Conshohocken operations
Cliffs has idled facilities in Riverdale, Ill., and Conshohocken and Steelton, Pa.
Radius loss narrows, volumes climb in ‘healthy’ West Coast market
Stronger steel demand in the Western US, rising scrap flows, and improved rolling mill utilization drove sequential gains for Portland, Ore.-based Radius Recycling.
AISI: Raw steel production backs off multi-year high
US raw steel output edged lower last week after hitting a multi-year high in mid-June, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).
Private equity firm Atlas Holdings to acquire Evraz North America
Atlas Holdings said it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Evraz North America (Evraz NA). The Greenwich, Conn.-based private equity firm said it expects the deal for the Chicago-based steelmaker to close in the second quarter of 2025 subject to various closing condition.