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    Analysis

    February 26, 2026

    Plate market sources bemoan unpredictable demand, availability, and lead times

    Written by Kristen DiLandro & Michael Cowden

    Plate industry sources said the market has been characterized by three factors lately: fewer domestic mills willing to fulfill spot buys, inconsistent lead times, and erratic demand.

    When it comes to lead times, for example, some market participants said they had pushed out to nearly two months. That’s on the high end of SMU’s lead time range for plate.

    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.

    Read more from Kristen DiLandro

    Michael Cowden

    Michael Cowden is editor-in-chief for Steel Market Update. Cowden has covered the steel industry since 2007. He specializes in flat-rolled steel but has also reported on steel long products, steel pipe and tube, and aluminum. Before joining SMU, Cowden held reporting jobs at Fastmarkets AMM in Chicago, the Associated Press in Pittsburgh, and the Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh. He has also worked as a copy editor and in marketing at the University of Chicago Press. Cowden has a BA in English from the University of Chicago and an MSJ journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Contact him at michael@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7872.

    Read more from Michael Cowden

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