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    Market Data

    January 4, 2024

    SMU survey: Buyers say mills slightly less willing to talk price

    Written by Ethan Bernard

    The percentage of steel buyers saying mills were willing to negotiate spot pricing on the products SMU surveys was mixed this week. Overall, though, the mill negotiation rate dipped slightly, according to our most recent survey data.

    The biggest slip was in plate, with the negotiation rate dropping 17 percentage points from two weeks earlier to 57%. This was followed closely by galvanized sheet, whose rate tumbled 16 percentage points to 28% in the same comparison.

    Ethan Bernard

    Ethan Bernard is managing editor for Steel Market Update. He previously worked for American Metal Market as a copy editor in the New York office for two years, starting in 2008. Later, he copy edited AMM’s monthly magazine on a freelance basis from 2015 until 2017. With experience in financial copywriting and textbook publishing, he holds a BA in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley, and an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University. He can be reached at ethan@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7871.

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