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.
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.
SSAB Americas aims to increase base plate prices by at least $60 per short ton (st), according to a letter sent to customers on Monday.
The Department of Commerce thinks revoking the anti-dumping duty (AD) orders on cut-to-length carbon steel plate from China and Russia would lead to the recurrence of dumping at significant margins.
Nucor said on Thursday evening it plans to increase plate prices by $60 per short ton (st) as it opens its November order book.
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.
The US Department of Commerce has determined that the anti-dumping duty (AD) suspension agreement on cut-to-length plate imports from Ukraine should not be sunset.
Sheet and plate prices continued to inch higher on a combination of scarce spot tons, long lead times, lean inventories, and stable demand.
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.
The current plate market squeeze has been driven by improved demand and heightened import barriers, including 50% Section 232 tariffs. But the timing of fall outages—even if they were planned—is exacerbating the supply crunch.
The United Steelworkers (USW) union plans to extend its current labor contract with U.S. Steel and Cleveland-Cliffs by 48-hours on a rolling basis, the union told SMU on Monday.
The domestic plate market is showing few signs of relief for steel buyers. Lead times are stretching well beyond seasonal norms, spot availability has all but evaporated, and mills are drawing hard lines on contract volumes heading into 2027 negotiations. And the supply squeeze will likely intensify in a market that some industry sources say is structurally undersupplied because of stringent US trade and tariff policies. Imports have been arriving in larger volumes, and the expectation is they will continue to tick higher into 2027. The big question is whether those foreign tons will arrive in volumes sufficient to provide the relief steel consumers want.
SSAB Americas announced immediate changes to pricing extras on select products, according to a letter sent to customers Friday morning.
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.
Nucor Plate Group said it will be increasing its fuel surcharge to $20 per short ton for next month, effective on all shipments beginning Oct. 1.
US service centers’ flat-rolled steel supply declined in August, making the marginal gain the month prior an outlier year-to-date. Shipping days of supply slipped to 44.2 in August, according to SMU data.
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.
Carolina Heavy Steel is set to establish heavy steel processing, fabrication, and coating operations in Ridgeville, S.C.
Following the 17-month high set in June, US steel exports receded 8% in July, according to recently released US Department of Commerce figures. Trade has been historically low for over a year and remains weak compared to 2022-2024 volumes.
The US plate market is increasingly challenging. Spot tons remain constrained as demand gains momentum and lead times continue to stretch out—double what they were a year ago.
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.
Most steel buyers responding to our latest market survey reported that mills continue to hold a firm grip on prices. Negotiation rates remain low on all sheet and plate products. In late August, the share of buyers reporting that mills were negotiable fell to the lowest rate seen in almost five years, and that rate was unchanged through this week.
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.
Algoma Steel has restarted electric-arc furnace (EAF) production in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, after a turbine failure at its Lake Superior Power (LSP) plant.
Mexico has formally opened an anti-dumping investigation into imports of cut-to-length steel plate from Japan. Mexico’s Ministry of Economy launched the trade case after a complaint by Grupo Acerero (GASA). GASA, a San Luis Potosi-based steel producer, alleges price discrimination and injury to the Mexican industry, according to the announcement in Mexico’s Official Gazette of the Federation. The case targets hot-rolled, uncoated, non-coil carbon steel plate in sheet form, at least 4.75 mm thick and 600 mm wide.
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...
The 45-day outage will now take place in September instead of August, as initially planned, JSW Steel CEO Robert Simon said.