Spot market hopes sheet price hikes indicate a bullish start to 2026

Participants in the domestic coil market hope producer price increases indicate strong market conditions entering the new year.

Nucor issued its seventh weekly price increase on Monday, Dec. 8, lifting its spot market prices on HR by $55 per short ton (st) in less than two months. Just a week earlier, on Dec.1, ArcelorMittal and Stelco in Canada each announced CA$100/st (US$72) spot price increases. US tariffs on Canadian steel have made importing less attractive to the US-based market. However, participants wonder whether the price hikes from producers in “The Great North” reflect stronger order books.

Kristen DiLandro

Kristen DiLandro is a reporter for Steel Market Update. Kristen focuses on the micro and macro steel market conditions informing North American spot prices. Following her agency career in advertising, she attained an MFA in Writing from Savannah College of Art and Design. Kristen can be reached at kristen@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-221-8143.

Kristen DiLandro

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