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    SMU Price Ranges: Sheet Prices Up Again, But Outlooks Diverge

    Written by David Schollaert & Michael Cowden


    Sheet prices notched a third consecutive week of gains on limited supply and stable demand outside of automotive operations impacted by the UAW strike.

    But opinions diverged on the future direction of prices.

    David Schollaert

    Read more from David Schollaert

    Michael Cowden

    Read more from Michael Cowden

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    Plate supply squeeze tightens as demand presses higher

    The domestic plate market is showing few signs of relief for steel buyers. Lead times are stretching well beyond seasonal norms, spot availability has all but evaporated, and mills are drawing hard lines on contract volumes heading into 2027 negotiations. And the supply squeeze will likely intensify in a market that some industry sources say is structurally undersupplied because of stringent US trade and tariff policies. Imports have been arriving in larger volumes, and the expectation is they will continue to tick higher into 2027. The big question is whether those foreign tons will arrive in volumes sufficient to provide the relief steel consumers want.