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    March 28, 2024

    SMU survey: Steel mill lead times begin to extend

    Written by Laura Miller

    After stabilizing in our last check of the market, production times for flat-rolled steel have begun to push out further, according to steel buyers responding to SMU’s market survey this week.

    The changes from our March 13 market check differed by product, but all moved higher. Average lead times extended by 9% for hot rolled (HR), 8% for Galvalume, 5% for plate, 3% for cold rolled (CR), and 1% for galvanized sheet. This week’s gains have pushed production times out the furthest since January, and expectations are for lead times to continue extending in the coming weeks.

    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.

    Read more from Laura Miller

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