US hot-rolled coil prices slipped for a third consecutive week as market participants debated whether and when the declines might accelerate. Another big question: where the new floor for HRC might be? SMU’s hot-rolled coil price dipped to $1,105 per ton ($55.25 per cwt), down $15 per ton from last week and down $55 per […]
The percentage of steel buyers saying mills are willing to negotiate spot pricing jumped above 60% for the first time since late December, according to SMU data. All the products SMU surveys showed substantial gains this week, with plate climbing to 40% of buyers saying mills were willing to talk price vs. 0% two weeks ago. Every two weeks, […]
Sheet prices fell across the board this week on the heels of shorter lead times, higher-than-anticipated inventory levels, and potential import competition. Some market participants predicted that further declines would be “managed” by a more consolidated flat-rolled steel industry. Others said they feared that prices could come down quickly given how sharply they rose in […]
Hot-rolled coil prices edged downward for the first time since late November, according to SMU’s latest check of the market. The dip in HRC prices comes after we saw lead times contract slightly, an uptick in the number of mills willing to negotiate lower prices, and a modest increase in sheet inventories. SMU’s hot-rolled coil price […]
Steel mill lead times are down for the first time since January, according to SMU’s latest steel market survey data. Lead times seem to be tapering off after climbing week over week for the past few months. SMU’s hot-rolled lead time is approximately 6.1 weeks, a 0.6-week drop from two weeks ago. While numbers are currently […]
Buyers of most sheet products are finding mills much more willing to talk price this week, while this number fell to 0% for plate buyers, according to SMU data. With mixed results across the products SMU surveys, galvanized products showed the biggest gain, increasing 24 percentage points to 57% of buyers saying mills were willing to […]
Hot-rolled coil prices marked a third consecutive week of very modest gains amid questions about whether the market was at or near a peak. Steel Market Update’s hot-rolled coil prices stands at $1,160 per ton ($58 per cwt), up $5 per ton from last week. HRC prices have risen only $20 per ton since March […]
Sheet prices moved slightly higher as domestic steelmakers held to previously announced price increases and as Cleveland-Cliffs rolled out another round of price hikes. Cliffs had been inching prices above $1,200 per ton ($60 per cwt) before the price hike was announced, some sources noted. It’s not clear whether other producers will follow Cliffs’ move. […]
Steel mill leads time were largely flat this week, a trend change in a year that has seen them mostly rising, according to SMU’s latest steel market survey data. Case in point: hot-rolled coil lead times were flat for the first time since early January. We’ve noted a similar trend in prices, which tend to trend […]
The percentage of steel buyers finding mills willing to negotiate prices slipped below 25% this week, according to SMU data. Across the products surveyed by SMU, cold rolled took the largest tumble, falling 10 percentage points to 19% of respondents saying mills were willing to talk price. Every two weeks, SMU asks steel buyers whether domestic mills are […]
SMU’s hot-rolled coil price posted its smallest week-over-week (WoW) price gain since mid-January. Some sources said the market might be at or near a peak. But others said it might be taking a break ahead of domestic mills rolling out another round of price hikes. Our average hot-rolled coil price stands at $1,145 per ton ($57.25 […]
Flat-rolled steel prices are still trending up in the wake of recent mill tag hikes, albeit at a slower pace this week. We’ve seen a rather notable market cycle over the past 15-plus weeks with repeated price hikes. Is it starting to peter out, or just catching its breath? Hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices have increased […]
The number of steel buyers finding mills willing to negotiate prices sank even further this week, according to SMU data. Galvanized was the only product surveyed by SMU to top 30% of respondents saying mills were willing to talk price, while plate dipped below 10%. Every two weeks, SMU asks steel buyers whether domestic mills are […]
Flat-rolled steel prices continue to rise in response to repeated mill pricing announcements, a trend we’ve seen nearly weekly since Monday, Nov. 28, 2022. Hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices have surged by $490 per ton – a 78% jump – since Cleveland-Cliffs and US Steel kicked off the craze with $60-per-ton price hikes. On Monday, Cliffs […]
Aggressive mill price increases are pushing flat-rolled tags up at a sharp clip, rivaling the spike seen in response to the war in Ukraine last March. On Friday, Nucor came out with yet another notice – up an extra $150 per ton ($7.50 per cwt) and setting a new base price for hot band of […]
Steel mill lead times are following prices as they continue to trend upward, according to SMU’s latest market survey. SMU’s hot-rolled lead time is approximately six weeks, up from 5.4 weeks in our last market check two weeks ago. The result is notable because it marks a second consecutive and significant gain. Recall that lead times had been steady just below […]
Steel buyers are finding mills much less willing to negotiate lower prices this week, according to SMU data. Respondents to our latest survey reported that most mills were unwilling to negotiate lower sheet prices. Some said plate mills were still willing to cut deals. Every two weeks, SMU asks steel buyers whether domestic mills willing to negotiate lower […]
Last week’s mill price increases continue to make their way into the market. Cliffs’ latest this week – up another $100 per ton ($5 per cwt) and setting a new base price for hot band of $1,100 per ton – has yet to be reflected in today’s pricing. But that hasn’t stopped it from garnering […]
Sheet prices increased this week as another blitz of price hikes – this time $100 per ton ($5/cwt) – spurred the market higher. The latest announcements from the likes of Nucor, Cliffs, US Steel, and ArcelorMittal, all setting a new base price for hot band of $1,000 per ton, are yet to be reflected in […]
The percentage of steel buyers polled finding mills willing to negotiate prices has sunk back below 50% this week, according to SMU data. No product surveyed exceeded 50%, with Galvalume the only product to hit the 50% mark. Every two weeks, SMU asks hundreds of steel buyers: Are you finding domestic mills willing to negotiate spot pricing […]
Steel mill lead times, following recent pricing moves, have pushed upwards, according to SMU’s latest market survey. SMU’s hot-rolled lead time is approximately 5.4 weeks, up from 4.9 weeks at our last check of the market two weeks ago. The result is notable because lead times have been just below five weeks since the beginning of […]
Sheet prices rose again this week as a blitz of $50-per-ton ($2.50/cwt) price hikes spurred the market higher. Steel Market Update’s hot-rolled coil price now stands at $825 per ton, up $15 per ton from last week and nearing the highest levels we’ve seen since late July. The difference: HRC prices were on their way […]
Sheet prices continue to rise, extending a rally that began the week after Thanksgiving. SMU’s hot-rolled coil price is now above $800 per ton ($40 per cwt) for the first time since early August, roughly six months ago. At $810 per ton on average, HRC prices are up $30 per ton from $780 per ton […]
Steel mill lead times have remained flat despite rising prices, according to SMU’s latest market survey. SMU’s hot-rolled lead time is approximately 5 weeks, unchanged from our last check of the market two weeks ago. Cold-rolled lead times remained at roughly 6.6 weeks, similar to two weeks ago. Galvanized inched up to 6.3 weeks from 6.1 weeks. […]
The percentage of steel buyers polled finding that mills are willing to negotiate prices rebounded above 50% this week vs. two weeks ago, according to SMU data. Of the products surveyed, plate notched the only decrease in mills willing to talk price, falling to 30% compared with 63% at the last market check. Every two […]
Sheet prices rose again this week, continuing a rally that began shortly after Thanksgiving. SMU’s hot-rolled coil price stands at $780 per ton ($39 per cwt), up $20 per ton from $760 per ton last week and up $165 per ton from a 2022 low of $615 per ton recorded in November. HRC prices haven’t […]
Sheet prices continued to inch upward as most market participants reported solid first-quarter demand, despite concerns in some corners about 2H activity. But the pace of price gains appears to have slowed, at least temporarily, and lead times have leveled off as well. Any significant additional sheet price gains will hinge less on mill announcements […]
Steel mill lead times were flat to down this week, declining by an average of 0.5 weeks across all five products we track. Steel buyers reported mill lead times ranging from 4 to 6 weeks for hot rolled and plate, and 5 to 8 weeks for cold rolled, galvanized, and Galvalume. SMU’s hot-rolled lead time […]
Sheet prices continued to inch upward this week as market participants debated whether a third round of price increases from Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. would gain traction. Those who thought the $50-per-ton price hike would stick pointed to higher scrap costs, solid demand, and new capacity still struggling to ramp up. Those who questioned whether the increases […]
The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has voted to remove duties on Brazilian hot-rolled coil, cold-rolled coil, and plate. Once might be a coincidence. But three times? That’s a trend. The question now: Is this a big-picture shift in US trade policy toward Brazil? Or is it instead more a matter of inside baseball at the […]