SMU Survey: Buyers report more price flexibility from mills

Nearly half of the steel buyers responding to this week’s SMU market survey say domestic mills are showing increased willingness to negotiate pricing on new spot orders. This marks a significant shift from the firmer stance mills held in prior weeks.

Mills had shown lesser willingness to budge on prices since February, when tariff announcements by President Trump drove domestic prices upward and shifted negotiating power back to the mills. Prior to that, buyers had held the upper hand for nearly a year.

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.