SMU Survey: Mills slightly less negotiable on spot pricing

Sheet and plate buyers say mills remain open to negotiating spot prices this week, though less so than in recent weeks, according to SMU’s latest market survey.

Every other week, SMU polls thousands of buyers asking if domestic mills are negotiable on new spot order pricing. This week, 81% of respondents said mills were willing to talk price to secure an order. This is down 13 points from our previous survey and the lowest rate seen since June (Figure 1).