Tag: Imports

On the heels of SSAB’s price hike, further domestic mill increases to spot market plate seem inevitable to some participants but unlikely to others. 

Cold-rolled (CR) coil prices were unchanged in the US this week, while offshore prices varied, though mostly trended up.

If a trend of flat lead times holds, it would represent a change. And we’ve also seen a few of the other indicators we track slip from historic highs – so the potential shift is worth paying attention to.

Toyota Motor North America plans to invest $3.6 billion to expand its San Antonio manufacturing campus.

SMU’s average price for domestic HR was unchanged vs. last week. In offshore markets last week, while prices diverged, the dynamic between stateside and imported product varied little.

The investigation follows requests from US producers Nucor and Steel Dynamics.

Earlier this week, SMU polled steel buyers on an array of topics, ranging from market prices, demand, and inventories to tariffs, imports, and evolving market events.

Imports from Europe are at parity with domestic hot rolled, while Southeast Asian products remain at a considerable discount. The result comes because a stateside rally coincides with faltering offshore prices.

Hot-rolled coil spot market participants told SMU they see no evidence of the market softening in the near term.  

Limited spot product and extended lead times continue to characterize the domestic plate market, prolonging upward price pressure.

North American steel buyers are navigating a market where demand is firming, but import activity remains cautious. Buyers reported mixed import activity in SMU’s June 26 flat-rolled steel buyers’ survey.

Cold-rolled coil prices moved higher in the US this week, as offshore prices trended lower. Imports are, as a result, increasingly more competitive, even with the 50% Section 232 tariff.

Domestic steelmakers told the Congressional Steel Caucus that strong trade enforcement and Section 232 tariffs continue to drive higher production, new investment, and facility restarts nationwide.

Participants in the domestic plate market anticipate incoming price notifications before the end of the month, SMU learned in recent conversations. 

SMU’s average price for domestic HR was $1,145 per short ton (st) this week, $15/st higher week over week (w/w). In offshore markets last week, prices moved down, largely maintaining a trend seen since late April.

Galvanized sheet buyers and distributors report that strong demand and constrained supply persist, exerting upward pressure on prices.

CRU: Tight market balance will drive up US steel plate prices, while weak demand and lower CBAM costs will pull European prices down. Weather risks will shape Asian markets, from Chinese rain disruptions to uneven Indian monsoons.

Cold-rolled (CR) coil prices ticked up in the US this week, as offshore prices mostly trended lower.

South Korea has overtaken Canada as the top foreign supplier of steel to the US market.

Hot-rolled coil market participants report little disruption to their contact volumes, finding timely spot HR proved less straightforward, some sources told SMU. 

The US HRC futures curve has continued to move higher, particularly in the deferred months, suggesting the market is pricing a slower return to balance.

Earlier this week, SMU polled steel buyers on an array of topics, ranging from prices, demand, and inventories to tariffs, imports, and evolving market conditions.

SMU’s average price for domestic HR was $1,130 per short ton (st) this week, $15/st higher week over week (w/w). In offshore markets last week, prices were largely down, following a trend seen since late April.

May was the fifth consecutive month of expansion for the US manufacturing sector, according to the most recent Institute for Supply Management (ISM) report.

SMU released May service center inventories on Monday. And if you’re a premium subscriber, I recommend reading the report (here) if you haven’t already.

Apparent steel supply eased from March to April on reduced mill shipments per recent Department of Commerce and American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) data.

The Trump tariffs have driven the mundane world of traditional “trade remedies” off the front pages. But antidumping and countervailing duty measures are still with us, and new cases are on the upswing lately.

After reaching historic lows late last year, import volumes have increased each month of 2026, according to recently released US Commerce Department data.

Sheet prices in the USA continued to move higher over the past month as supply remained tight in the country

A major trade case finalized late last year, along with higher Section 232 tariffs, account for the reduced imports.