Distributors/Service Centers
August 6, 2026
Written by Kristen DiLandro
Some plate sources expect spot prices to rise due to rumors of mill outages in the fall.
In recent conversations, some participants predict mill maintenance outages and scheduled updates will crimp an already constricted market.
SMU’s latest Flat-Rolled Steel Buyers Survey shows that in a tight US market marked by long lead times, low inventories, and rising prices, foreign products continue to gain the interest of domestic buyers.
The results of the latest SMU flat-rolled market survey are now available on our website to all premium members.
Service centers and manufacturers on the Sept. 15 HARDI Sheet Metal and Air Handling Council call described a tight, seller-driven market. Lead times are long, deliveries are late, inventories are thin, imports are down, and demand is strong, causing a shortage of galvanized material. SMU regularly joins the council’s meetings to discuss the galvanized sheet market. Participants — members of Heating, Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) — are wholesalers, service centers, distributors, and manufacturers who buy or sell galvanized steel.
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.