Category: Prices

The price gap between US hot-rolled coil (HR) and landed offshore product tightened this week. The dynamic continues even as stateside and import prices diverged a bit vs. the prior week.

CRU: 62% Fe iron ore prices remained rangebound in April following the surge in the first half of March.

This week we saw low negotiation rates across all products, though coated products are the most negotiable and plate products are the least.

Market sources say 2026 could be a stronger year for plate market participants than 2025 if this week’s conditions are indicative of how the rest of the year plays out.  

Nucor has increased its consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled (HR) coil to $1,065 per short ton (st), a $10/st increase from last week.

Sheet market participants reported steady to elevated demand over the past week. But while spot prices continued to edge up, some sources said lead times were becoming more closely aligned to industry norms.

The price gap between US hot-rolled coil (HR) and landed offshore product tightened this week. The dynamic continues as both stateside and offshore prices have largely trended higher.

As the steel market works through the first month of Q2 and the spring outage season, the US HRC futures curve continues to reflect a market adjusting to tightening conditions. The recalibration of near-term expectations sets the stage for how the curve has developed in recent weeks.

In a Final Thoughts las week, I asked “Got Steel?” And if you’re looking for spot tons in June, the answer still isn’t obvious.

Each of SMU’s sheet and plate price indices climbed higher this week, with most products rising further to new multi-year highs

Nucor has increased its consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled (HR) coil to $1,055 per short ton (st), a $10/st bump from last week.

Factors like fluctuating demand, import availability, domestic product lead times, fuel surcharges, and end-user consumption left plate sources feeling unsettled.  

Participants in the hot- and cold-rolled coils market are optimistic about the market's health.

Service centers held only 2.24 months of supply (49.3 days of supply) of sheet products in March, according to our latest figures. If you check our archives, you’ll see that's the lowest sheet inventories we’ve seen since June 2021 – which was hardly a bad year for steel.

There are several factors buttressing the ferrous scrap market against it seasonal fall in the spring months. We all know about the Iran War and the rise in fuel costs. Other factors include strong steelmaking activity, rising steel prices, lighter inbound scrap flows, and firm export markets.

Nucor announced its fuel surcharge for plate will be at least $10 per short ton, effective with shipments beginning May 1.

Most sheet and plate buyers continue to report that mills are not negotiable on new order spot prices, according to our latest market survey conducted this week.

Sheet and plate prices increased yet again this week on an increasingly tight spot market. It's gotten so tight that some market participants say they're becoming more concerned about availability than about price.

Nucor has increased its consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled (HR) coil to $1,045 per short ton (st), a $5/st bump from last week.

Remember the “Got Milk?” advertising campaign of the 1990s. Maybe we should start a “Got Steel?” campaign. Or maybe “Got Spot Tons?” would be more accurate, if less catchy.

Sheet market participants said they expect hot-rolled coil prices to continue to rise. A Midwest service center source said some mills are not taking spot orders. And even on the contract side, certain mills are “keeping customers at the ‘middle’ of their contract buys to help get lead-times back into shape,” he said. That’s a […]

Plate market participants we spoke to this week offered a long list of concerns: escalating fuel and freight expenses, consolidated sources of end-market demand, tariff-related complications, as well as long lead times and delivery delays from US mills. The cherry on top? An ever shrinking availability of spot tons from domestic mills.

The US scrap market has largely settled at prices most predicted in late March. The prevailing view then: shredded and other obsolete grades, like HMS, would drop $10-20 per gross ton (gt) despite higher transportation costs. And prime grades, like #1 busheling and bundles, would trade sideways thanks to better demand and static supply. This is essentially what has happened.

Algoma Steel aims to increase plate prices by US$60 per short ton (CA$80/st), effectively immediately, according to a letter to customers dated Thursday.

More people expect hot-rolled (HR) coil prices to continue to climb. And most respondents to our last survey predict that prices will hit or even breach the $1,100 per short ton (st) threshold.

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

Nucor plans to increase its list price for hot-rolled (HR) coil to $1,040 per short ton (st), up $5/st from last week.

At least two major US plate producers - SSAB Americas and Nucor - plan to increase plate prices by at least $60 per short ton (st).

The price gap between US hot-rolled coil (HR) and landed offshore product tightened this week.

Most steel buyers report that mills are not willing to negotiate on new order spot prices, according to our latest market survey. Mill negotiability is now down to one of the lowest rates measured in over a year.