Tag: Galvanized

Steel markets in the United States now feature supply shortages. Spot tons are well-nigh unavailable, and even contract tons are scarce. Based on the available statistics, the US market for flat-rolled products is seriously constrained. The US economy is still the strongest in the world, and manufacturing output remains vigorous. But the available supply is tight. The reason is fairly obvious. US domestic supply has increased a bit. Meanwhile, imports have fallen significantly.

Steel imports into the US crept higher in August and continued climbing in September, according to the Department of Commerce's latest import license data. August imports rose 3.4% from July to a 15-month high. September license data collected through Oct. 5 shows another 6.2% month-on-month increase. Imports continue to recover from some of the lowest levels since 2020, seen late last year through February this year.

The US Department of Commerce is considering raising the anti-dumping duties on imports of corrosion-resistant steel products (CORE) from Korea.

Sheet and plate prices continued to move higher on market dynamics that have carried headlines for much of the second half of the year: scarce spot tons, long lead times, production delays, lean inventories, and stable demand.

Steel mill lead times continued to expand for sheet and plate products this week, according to buyers responding to our latest market survey.

The overall mill negotiation rate ticked up slightly this week, but the overwhelming majority of buyers are still finding mills inflexible on price, according to our latest survey data.

Sheet and plate prices continued to inch higher on a combination of scarce spot tons, long lead times, lean inventories, and stable demand.

Stelco Holdings Inc. is indefinitely idling its finishing operations in Hamilton, Ontario. The Canadian steelmaker, a subsidiary of Cleveland-Cliffs, will concentrate steel production at its Lake Erie Works in Nanticoke, Ontario, a Cliffs spokesperson told SMU.

Sheet and plate prices continued to tick mostly higher this week amid a supply squeeze that shows no signs of loosening its grip on the US market.

Steel mill lead times extended for sheet and plate products this week, according to buyers responding to our latest market survey. Production times have been historically long for most of the summer.

The vast majority of steel buyers responding to our latest market survey found mills unwilling to negotiate lower prices for spot tons. This holds true for all the products SMU tracks. Every two weeks, SMU surveys service center and manufacturer buyers asking if mills are negotiable on new spot sheet and plate orders. In this week’s survey, 9% of respondents said mills were willing to talk price to secure an order (Figure 1). This is the third consecutive survey at that rate. You'd have to go back to September 2021 to find a lower number.

Service centers and manufacturers on the Sept. 15 HARDI Sheet Metal and Air Handling Council call described a tight, seller-driven market. Lead times are long, deliveries are late, inventories are thin, imports are down, and demand is strong, causing a shortage of galvanized material. SMU regularly joins the council’s meetings to discuss the galvanized sheet market. Participants — members of Heating, Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) — are wholesalers, service centers, distributors, and manufacturers who buy or sell galvanized steel.

Sheet and plate prices remained on an upward trek over the last week as concerns about supply shortages continued to ripple across the market, industry sources said.

US steel imports increased 7.8% in July and, based on US Department of Commerce license data, rose even higher in August.

Total shipments of heating and cooling equipment slowed 11% from June to July, according to the latest figures from AHRI.

Sheet and plate prices continue to push higher on increasingly tight supplies and solid demand, market participants said. The domestic market remains characterized by both limited spot availability and limited contract availability. Buyers continue to report having difficulty finding spot material and being held below their contract maximums and sometimes to their contract minimums.

Steel mill lead times held steady for sheet products this week and extended further on plate, according to buyers responding to our latest market survey. Production times have been historically long for most of the summer, currently at or near multi-year highs on each of the products we measure. Over two-thirds of the buyers responding to this week’s survey (68%) believe lead times will be flat two months from now, similar to recent surveys. Of the remainder, 19% predict lead times will extend further, and 13% expect contractions.

Flat-rolled steel prices inched higher again this week, continuing a trend that has characterized the market for most of this year. SMU’s hot-rolled (HR) coil price now stands at...

Sheet prices mostly ticked upward again this week on a series of factors long familiar to the market: long lead times, limited spot availability, and solid demand.

Steel mill lead times remained extended on both sheet and plate products this week, according to buyers responding to our latest market survey. Production times have been historically long for most of the summer, remaining at or near multi-year highs across all of the products we track.

Most steel buyers who responded to our market survey this week reported that mills are holding a firm grip on sheet and plate prices. The share of buyers reporting that mills were negotiable fell to the lowest rate seen in almost five years. Negotiation rates for three sheet products are down to multi-year lows.

Sheet prices and plate prices continued their relentless march higher over the last week as more participants said they were effectively on allocation, especially when it comes to hot-rolled (HR) coil.

Total shipments of heating and cooling equipment improved 10% from May to June, according to the latest figures from the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). The improved month-on-month (m/m) pace also marks the highest shipment rate of the past two years.

The spread between hot-rolled (HR) and galvanized coil has widened over the last month. As of Tuesday, Aug. 11, the gap stood at $230 per short ton (st), up $30 from $200/st on July 14 and a $10 increase from the prior week’s $220/st. On Aug. 12, 2025, the spread was $145/st.

Sheet and plate prices either held their ground or increased this week amid what remains an historically tight spot market.

Nucor announced on Monday, Aug. 10, revised galvanized and galvannealed coating extras higher by an average of 11%.

Licenses to import steel into the US surged in July to the highest level since June 2025, according to recently released US Commerce Department data. Final June figures show a 3.8% month-on-month decline, while July licenses show a 9% recovery.

Most steel buyers report that mills are unwilling to budge on new sheet and plate spot order prices this week. Negotiation rates have been low for most of this year, having recently fallen to one of the lowest measures recorded in almost five years.

Sheet and plate prices continue to rise on extremely limited spot availability, long lead times, and solid demand, according to market participants.

The US Court of International Trade (CIT) has ordered the Commerce Department to redo its final dumping determination for Mexico’s Galvasid SA de CV in the corrosion-resistant (CORE) steel investigation.