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    Market Data

    August 21, 2025

    SMU Survey: Mills remain flexible on pricing, buyers say

    Written by Brett Linton

    The majority of steel buyers responding to our market survey this week continue to say that mills are negotiable on new spot order prices. Negotiation rates have remained high since May.

    SMU polls thousands of buyers every other week on whether domestic mills are negotiable on new spot order pricing. This week, nearly nine in 10 respondents (88%) said mills were willing to talk price to secure an order. This rate is below both our previous survey (93%) and the record-high seen in mid-July (95%), but still holds strong by historical standards. (Figure 1).

    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.

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