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    HARDI: Galv market conditions signal firmer terrain in 2026

    Written by Kristen DiLandro


    The galvanized steel market is navigating price increases and longer lead times with a surer footing than in prior months.  

    Participants on this month’s Heating Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) Sheet Metal/Air Handling Council call said production hiccups, which limited supplies and created timing changes, sent prices skyward. Consensus among the callers seemed to be that bullish conditions that had been on the horizon had gone direct and weren’t settling down into bearish territory any time soon.  

    Kristen DiLandro

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    SMU Survey: Mill negotiation rates rise on sheet, fall for plate

    Sheet buyers found mills slightly more negotiable on price this week, while plate buyers thought mills were less flexible on spot price tags, according to our latest survey data. Every two weeks, SMU surveys service center and manufacturer buyers to see whether mills will negotiate on new spot sheet and plate orders. In this week’s survey, 14% of respondents said mills were willing to talk price to secure an order, up three percentage points from two weeks earlier (Figure 1). This is the highest reading since July 8, when the rate stood at 18%.