SMU Survey: Mills unlikely to budge on price, buyers say

Four out of every five steel buyers who responded to our latest market survey say domestic mills are unwilling to negotiate on new order spot pricing. Mills have shown little flexibility on pricing for nearly two months.

Up until January, buyers had held the bargaining power for nearly a year. That changed in February when President Trump’s tariff plans were announced, and domestic steel prices began to climb. Negotiation rates declined from there, reaching a near-two-year low by early March. While we saw a slight uptick two weeks ago, negotiation rates have since fallen again.

Brett Linton

Brett Linton is a digital operations analyst for Steel Market Update, where he began his career. Linton has been in the steel industry since 2010. He has held roles as a category manager and strategic insights director at Reibus before returning to SMU in 2024. He is a graduate of The University of North Georgia with a degree in Finance and Accounting. Brett can be reached at brett@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-314-0179.