SMU Survey: Buyers report mills are holding a grip on prices

Four of every five buyers responding to our latest market survey report that mills are not negotiable on new order spot prices, a recurring theme seen over the past four months. This week we saw low negotiation rates across all products, with coated products slightly more negotiable than others.

Every other week, SMU polls over a thousand service center and manufacturer buyers asking if mills are negotiable on new spot-order pricing. This week, 20% of respondents said mills were willing to talk price to secure an order (Figure 1). This is down two points from our previous survey and marks the second-lowest rate recorded in the past year.

Brett Linton

Brett Linton is a digital operations analyst for Steel Market Update, where he began his career. Linton has been in the steel industry since 2010. He has held roles as a category manager and strategic insights director at Reibus before returning to SMU in 2024. He is a graduate of The University of North Georgia with a degree in Finance and Accounting. Brett can be reached at brett@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-314-0179.