Category: Prices

CRU Senior Steel Analyst Alexandra Anderson shares insight into the current market for long steel products.

While the English language is vast, there is not an endless number of ways to say, “no major changes have transpired.” And if anyone has been tasked with talking about steel price changes in physical and futures US domestic steel market over the last four months, they are probably stretching their ability to its limit.

US hot-rolled (HR) coil prices moved slightly higher again this past week but remain marginally higher than offshore material on a landed basis. Since reaching parity with import prices in late August, domestic prices have been slowly pulling ahead of imports. This has been driven by a slight deviation in price movements – slow but […]

Steel prices ticked higher this week for most of the sheet products SMU tracks, back up to highs last recorded in June and July. Meanwhile, plate prices edged lower following three weeks of stability.

Nucor is holding its hot-rolled (HR) coil consumer spot price (CSP) at $730 per short ton (st) this week.

We are pleased to share this CRU analysis of the North American zinc market with SMU subscribers.

The price gap between US cold-rolled (CR) coil and offshore product has shrunk slightly this week ended Sept. 27 as stateside tags edged down. The premium slipped moderately but remains well ahead of the 10-month low from late July.

US hot-rolled (HR) coil prices inched up again this past week but remain just a touch more expensive than offshore material on a landed basis.

Galvanized steel buyers on Tuesday discussed the eerie stability in sheet prices of late. Expectations are for the murky market to persist in the short term, while glimmers of hope continue for prices pushing higher.

SMU’s steel price indices were mixed this week as the market seeks direction. All of our indices have fluctuated within relatively narrow ranges across September.

Last week, iron ore prices dropped below $90 per dry metric ton (dmt) for the second time in the past two years. However, prices rebounded strongly today and ended the week at $93.5/dmt, driven by the stimulus announcement in China.

Nucor’s weekly consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled (HR) coil increased $10 per short ton (st) from last week to $730/st as of Monday, Sept. 23.

The premium galvanized coil prices carry over hot-rolled (HR) coil continues to shrink, according to SMU price indices.

The price gap between US cold-rolled (CR) coil and offshore product widened this week as stateside tags inched up. The premium has been steadily increasing after falling to a 10-month low in late July.

SMU is pleased to share the latest news from the global pig iron markets from our sister publication, Recycled Metals Update.

US hot-rolled (HR) coil prices edged up this past week and remain modestly more expensive than offshore material on a landed basis. Since reaching parity with import prices in late August, domestic prices have been slowly pulling ahead of imports. The move has been driven largely by declines overseas.

SMU’s steel price indices were steady to higher this week. Each of our sheet indices crept upwards from last week, while our plate index was unchanged.

Cleveland-Cliffs aims to increase prices for hot-rolled (HR) coil to $750 per short ton (st) effective immediately. The move represents a price hike of $20/st from the Cleveland-based steelmaker's previously published price of $730/st.

Nucor’s weekly consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled (HR) coil is unchanged from last week.

The price spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and prime scrap widened again in September, according to SMU’s most recent pricing data.

CRU Principal Analyst Josh Spoores shares with SMU his analysis of the hot-rolled coil futures market.

The US plate market finds itself in unfamiliar territory, well maybe unfamiliar territory for this side of the post-Covid “normal,” that is.

It had been a relatively quiet and steady CME HRC futures market since the end of August. That was upended by Thursday’s news that instead of a two-week maintenance outage, Cleveland-Cliffs would hot idle the C-6 blast furnace at its Cleveland Works for an uncertain period of time. The CME October HRC contract, HRCV4, gained $22 per short ton (st) on the day to provisionally close at $744/st on Thursday. The first and second quarter futures strips of 2025 gained $25/st and $24/st to provisionally settle at $823/st and $829/st, respectively.

US hot-rolled (HR) coil prices edged down slightly this past week but remain at a slight premium to offshore material on a landed basis.

SMU’s steel price indices showed mixed signals for a second consecutive week. Our hot rolled, cold rolled, and plate price indices inched lower from last week, as the galvanized index held steady and Galvalume's ticked higher.

Nucor has raised its weekly consumer spot price (CSP) by $10 per short for hot-rolled (HR) coil to $720/st.

The price gap between US cold-rolled (CR) coil and offshore product has widened again. The premium has grown repeatedly since falling to a 10-month low in late July.

This month’s column on the markets could be a response to the question of last month, “Are the forward curve prices on Aug. 7 high enough to price in trade case risks?" The market’s answer has been a pretty resounding YES so far, I think.

US hot-rolled (HR) coil prices were largely flat over the past week, remaining higher than tags for offshore material on a landed basis for a second consecutive week.

Nucor intends to keep plate prices unchanged with the opening of its October order book, according to a letter to customers dated Wednesday, Sept. 4. The Charlotte, N.C.-based steelmaker said it would maintain prices set in its July 1, 2024, price letter.