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    Analysis

    September 22, 2026

    SMU Survey: Tight US flat-rolled market boosts buyer interest in foreign steel

    Written by Laura Miller

    SMU’s latest Flat-Rolled Steel Survey shows a tight US market marked by long lead times, low inventories, and rising prices. And with domestic supply limited, foreign products continue to gain the interest of domestic buyers.

    As explained in last week’s Final Thoughts, our survey shows most buyers see current mill lead times — eight weeks on average for hot rolled — as slightly longer than normal or highly extended. And more and more buyers are pushing back their forecasts for when prices will peak and raising their expectations for what that peak price might be.

    Laura Miller

    Laura Miller is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. She has held various editorial positions with steel industry publications, associations, and mills since 2007. She joined the SMU team in 2022. She is a member of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries and a past-president of the AWMI Pittsburgh Chapter. She holds a BA in Latin American Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

    Read more from Laura Miller

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