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    Analysis

    November 25, 2025

    SMU Survey: Mills firmer on sheet prices, more negotiable on plate

    Written by Ethan Bernard

    Mills are less willing to talk price on spot orders on all the sheet products SMU tracks, but plate has veered the other way, according to SMU’s market survey this week.

    SMU polls hundreds of service center and manufacturer buyers every other week to see if domestic mills are negotiable on new spot order prices. This week, 49% of respondents said mills were negotiable on price, down from 55% two weeks earlier. We have to go back to mid-April when the rate stood at 43% to find a reading under 50% (Figure 1).

    Ethan Bernard

    Ethan Bernard is managing editor for Steel Market Update. He previously worked for American Metal Market as a copy editor in the New York office for two years, starting in 2008. Later, he copy edited AMM’s monthly magazine on a freelance basis from 2015 until 2017. With experience in financial copywriting and textbook publishing, he holds a BA in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley, and an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University. He can be reached at ethan@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7871.

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