SMU Data and Models

Steel Mill Negotiations: Wide Open

May 23, 2019

Steel Market Update data on negotiations and pricing corroborate the same trend. More than eight out of 10 flat rolled steel buyers responding to SMU’s market trends questionnaire this week reported that the mills are willing to talk price to win their business. Thus, it’s no surprise that steel prices continue to move lower.

About 91 percent of respondents said the mills are open to price negotiations on hot rolled, up from 89 percent two weeks ago. Just 9 percent said the mills are currently holding the line on HR.

In the cold rolled segment, 88 percent now report the mills open to price negotiations, up from 83 percent two weeks ago. Just 12 percent report current cold rolled prices as firm.

In the galvanized sector, 83 percent said the mills are flexible on price, the same as in SMU’s last canvass. Just 17 percent report that galvanized prices are now nonnegotiable. Talks have tightened on Galvalume as 57 percent said the mills are now willing to talk price, down from 82 percent two weeks ago.

Negotiations on plate continue to loosen, with 67 percent of buyers now reporting some flexibility in plate prices, up from 60 percent in early May.

Note: SMU surveys active steel buyers twice each month to gauge the willingness of their steel suppliers to negotiate pricing. The results reflect current steel demand and changing spot pricing trends. SMU provides our members with a number of ways to interact with current and historical data. To see an interactive history of our Steel Mill Negotiations data, visit our website here.