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    Plate

    April 7, 2026

    SMU Price Ranges: Sheet and plate continue to inch higher on tight spot market and despite Iran War concerns

    Written by David Schollaert & Michael Cowden

    Sheet and plate prices continued to hold steady or tick upward once again this week. The factors behind the gains are familiar ones: limited spot tonnage, stable demand, limited import competition, and outages (planned or otherwise) at domestic mills.

    SMU’s price assessment for hot-rolled coil now stands at $1,040 per short ton (st), up $10/st from last week and up $130/st since the start of the year. The gains (at least in sheet) have been slow and steady, a stark contrast with the price spikes that have characterized pricing cycles in past years.

    David Schollaert

    David Schollaert is deputy editor-in-chief for Steel Market Update. David joined SMU after more than a decade in the metals and mining industry in a myriad of different roles. Much of his early experience and expertise were within the coverage and analysis of steel-making raw materials and served previously as senior editor of the CRU Prices Service. Most recently, however, before his return to market analysis, David held roles as a metals buyer and an operations manager for raw material suppliers. He can be contacted at david@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-720-1008.

    Read more from David Schollaert

    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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