Tag: Lead Times

SMU’s latest steel buyers market survey results are now available on our website to all premium members.

As spot prices for hot- and cold-rolled coils edge higher, mill capacity utilization rates hover below 80%, raising concern among some market participants.  

Steel mill lead times extended to multi-year highs on both sheet and plate products this week.

The US steel market is already characterized by high prices and tight supplies, and I wouldn't be surprised if prices move higher and supplies get even tighter – at least in the short term.

Domestic plate market participants expressed confidence in the overall improvement of market conditions this week.  

Prices are moving up and lead times moving. And most people expect them to continue to do so for a little while longer, according to our latest survey results. But there is one big wildcard: the Iran war.

Participants in the US hot- and cold-rolled sheet market cautiously called the week a win as prices inched north and demand picked up.  

Plate sources say they’re welcoming imports as domestic mill delivery delays, extended lead times, and climbing prices make fully adopting US-produced plate products unrealistic.  

SMU’s latest steel buyers market survey results are now available on our website to all premium members.

Following extensions in February, steel mill lead times held steady or extended further for both sheet and plate products this week, according to buyers responding to our latest market survey.

Let’s say the going price for HR is around $1,000/st. Want to place a 1,000-ton spot order at that price? Good luck. It probably won’t be easy.

February survey results showed notable shifts across measured lead times and sentiment.

Plate industry sources said the market has been characterized by three factors lately: fewer domestic mills willing to fulfill spot buys, inconsistent lead times, and erratic demand.

US hot-rolled coil prices are set to rise year on year in 2026, but the market will face heightened volatility as import flows recover and new domestic capacity comes online, CRU Research Principal Josh Spoores said at this year's Tampa Steel Conference. 

Participants in the domestic sheet market say they experienced lighter inquiries and fewer orders than in previous weeks, rendering domestic mill price increases for spot-market hot- and cold-rolled coils irrelevant.  

SMU’s latest steel buyers market survey results are now available on our website to all premium members.

The galvanized steel market is navigating price increases and longer lead times with a surer footing than in prior months.  

Hot rolled and galvanized lead times are about half a week longer than they were three months ago, while production times for cold rolled, Galvalume, and plate products are one to two weeks longer.

Once wintery weather gives way to sunnier spring conditions, plate sources foresee the market accepting the $50-60 per short ton spot price increases issued by Nucor Plate Group, Oregon Steel Mills, and SSAB. 

Nucor increased its list price for hot-rolled (HR) coil to $980 per short ton (st) on Monday, up $5/st from last week.

A narrow range has emerged, suggesting the market’s repricing of downside risk is starting to stick.

I’m going to play devil’s advocate for a narrative that has become the consensus for much of the US steel market. You know how it goes. Domestic steel prices will continue to go up despite uneven demand thanks to low supplies stemming in large part from tariffs and limited import competition. That's been the case for months now. Will it continue to be?

Plate market participants expect domestic producers to issue a $40-60 per short ton (st) price increase.

SMU’s latest steel buyers market survey results are now available on our website to all premium members. After logging in at steelmarketupdate.com, visit the pricing and analysis tab and look under the “survey results” section for “latest survey results.” Past survey results are also available under that selection. If you need help accessing the survey results, or if […]

Steel mill lead times marginally declined on sheet products this week but edged higher on plate, according to responses from SMU’s latest market survey. Overall, lead times remain one to two weeks longer than levels seen three months ago.

Metalforming manufacturers anticipate strong near-term economic conditions that will give way to increasing orders, according to the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) Business Conditions Report for January 2026. 

SMU’s latest steel buyers market survey results are now available on our website to all premium members.

Steel mill lead times held steady on most products this week following the surge seen in early January, according to responses from SMU’s latest market survey

SMU's steel market chatter this week.

The galvanized steel market has kicked off the year with a firmer tone, marked by rising prices, lengthening lead times, and a noticeable shift in buyer sentiment. Service centers and distributors on HARDI’s latest sheet metal and coil handling council call described a market that is not overheating but steadily tightening.