Distributors/Service Centers
March 26, 2026
Written by Brett Linton
On Monday and Tuesday of this week, SMU polled steel buyers on an array of topics, ranging from market prices, demand, and inventories to tariffs, imports, and evolving market events.
We are sharing a selection of the comments we received below, in each buyer’s own words.
The results of the latest SMU flat-rolled market survey are now available on our website to all premium members.
Service centers and manufacturers report a tight, seller-driven market for galvanized sheet. Lead times are long, deliveries are late, inventories are thin, imports are down, and demand is strong, causing a shortage of galvanized material.
US service centers’ flat-rolled steel supply declined in August, making the marginal gain the month prior an outlier year-to-date. Shipping days of supply slipped to 44.2 in August, according to SMU data.
Carolina Heavy Steel is set to establish heavy steel processing, fabrication, and coating operations in Ridgeville, S.C.
Totten Tubes has opened a new facility in Cedar City, Utah. The steel tubing distributor and processor, based in Azusa, Calif., recently celebrated the facility’s grand opening.