Category: Sheet

Domestic sheet prices in the US remained under pressure, limiting interest in imports, while domestic prices for longs products continued to rise.

Carbon steel plate market participants suspect that this week’s modestly softer prices are the result of quietly negotiated prices between plate purchasers and mills.

Steel buyers report steady lead times for sheet and plate products, a soft-sideways trend we've seen since May.

Scraping lower-quartile $800s on nearby futures is bringing limited trading ideas for CME hot-rolled coil (HRC) at present. 

Nucor has lowered its hot-rolled (HR) spot price by another $10 per short ton (st) this week.

With so much happening in the news cycle, we want to make it easier for you to keep track of it all. Here are highlights of what’s happened this week and a few things to keep an eye on.

Market participants said they have high hopes that the stable hot-rolled spot market will improve as the year rolls on.  

Yesterday’s tragedy and loss of life at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Works is a stark reminder of how important safety in the workplace really is.

Sources in the carbon and alloy steel plate market said they are less discouraged by market uncertainty resulting from tariffs or foreign relations, but are instead, eager to see disruption to the flat pricing environment.

Mill production times for sheet products are holding just above multi-year lows, while plate lead times remain elevated.

Sheet and plate prices were either flat or modestly lower this week on softer demand and increasing domestic capacity.

US steel shipments increased month over month and year over year in June, according to the latest figures from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).

Sheet prices slipped again this week amid discounting from certain mills and ongoing concerns about demand.

Steel prices continued to decline this week across all of the sheet and plate products tracked by SMU, pressured by short lead times and the typical summer slowdown.

CRU Principal Analyst Shankhadeep Mukherjee expects a restocking cycle for steel sheet products in most parts of the world due to either low inventories or seasonally stronger demand.

The difference: The spat with Turkey was a big deal for steel. This time, the 50% reciprocal tariff for Brazil – if it goes into effect as threatened on Aug.1 – hits everything from coffee and to pig iron. It seems almost custom-built to inflict as much pain as possible on Brazil.

Mill lead times for sheet products were steady to slightly longer this week compared to our late June market check, while plate lead times contracted, according to steel buyers responding to this week’s market survey.

Sheet and plate prices slipped this week on so-so demand, sideways scrap prices, and chatter that certain mills were making unsolicited calls looking for tons.

CRU Senior Steel Analyst Alexandra Anderson discusses current market and pricing dynamics for long steel products in the US.

Following the onset of the war in Ukraine in March 2022, concerns about import availability and expectations of rising demand from President Biden’s Infrastructure Bill pushed US rebar prices to record highs. In response, a flurry of new mills and capacity expansions were announced to meet the rise in demand from growth in the construction […]

Steel sheet buyers report feeling bogged down by the ongoing stresses of stagnant demand, news fatigue, tariff negotiations or implementation timelines, and persistent macroeconomic uncertainty.

Sheet and plate prices were little changed in the shortened week ahead of Independence Day, according to SMU’s latest check of the market.

Stainless prices in the US market will rise, following price increases by major US producers. Our base case scenario incorporates higher US prices in the near term, despite the initial negative reaction by the market.       US stainless prices will go up in 2025 H2 and will stay elevated in 2026 as tariffs on stainless […]

Following the uptick seen two weeks ago, lead times eased this week for all four sheet products tracked by SMU, while plate lead times held steady, according to this week’s market survey.

Uneven demand for galvanized steel in June reflects a market that remains mired in uncertainty, according to industry sources.

Prices for steel sheet slipped this week despite Section 232 tariffs remaining at 50% and a US strike on nuclear facilities in Iran over the weekend.

“Economically, the business case for products made in the us has become a lot more attractive," the CEO told Fox Business.

Worthington Enterprises acquires HVAC products maker Elgen Manufacturing.

Higher prices are boosting the performance of Nucor’s steel mills segment in the current quarter, the company said on Wednesday.

Steel prices inched higher again this week across most of the sheet and plate products tracked by SMU.