HR Lead Times Near Five Weeks, Plate’s Shorten Again

Steel mill lead times were largely unchanged this week, with hot rolled extending slightly and plate falling back marginally.

For hot-rolled sheet, steel buyers this week reported lead times ranging from 3 to 6 weeks, with an average of 4.90 weeks. HR lead times have lengthened slightly in each of SMU’s biweekly market checks since July 20 when lead times averaged 4.48 weeks. Lead times for HR have remained below 5.0 weeks since early June.

Laura Miller

Laura Miller is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. She has held various editorial positions with steel industry publications, associations, and mills since 2007. She joined the SMU team in 2022. She is a member of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries and a past-president of the AWMI Pittsburgh Chapter. She holds a BA in Latin American Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.