Tag: Prices

Hot-rolled and cold-rolled prices held steady again this week while prices for coated products and plate continued to tick upward.

SMU’s July 10 Flat-Rolled Steel Survey results paint a picture of a steel market being squeezed from every direction. Tariffs are holding prices up and giving mills a clear advantage, while manufacturers and traders say the policy is pushing their costs higher.

Nucor said its consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled coil will be $1,135 per short ton (st) for the week of July 13, up $5/st from last week.

Some domestic hot-rolled coil market participants say they expect prices for hot-rolled coils to remain stable through the end of 2026.  The market participants predicted that mills would hold spot prices and incrementally tighten lead times. Continuing, that they’ll find imported product arrivals, experience seasonal demand dips and all conditions will culminate in stable prices throughout the summer.   Asked […]

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. 

On July 1, CRU launched a US Galvalume coil benchmark price to serve this growing market.

Read the latest CRU Outlook on global sheet prices and the market for the coming months.

The majority of steel buyers we polled this week reported that mills are holding firm on new order spot prices.

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.

SSAB Americas plans to increase plate prices by at least $40 per short ton (st), according to a letter sent to customers on Wednesday.

Market reaction to Nucor’s move was mixed. Some sources said a flat CSP reflected concerns that further increases in US HR prices could attract more import competition. Others expressed frustration. Their view: CSP has kept a lid on prices, something that shouldn’t happen when many buyers remain more concerned about availability than price.

Nucor said on Monday, July 6, that its hot-rolled coil consumer spot price will remain unchanged at $1,130 per short ton for the week.

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.

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.

Hot-rolled (HR) coil and plate prices continued to tick higher even as cold-rolled (CR) and coated prices came in unchanged, according to SMU’s latest check of the market.

Wells Fargo's Timna Tanners thinks the steel price rally will be falling off as we get further into the second half.

Nucor held its consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled (HR) coil at $1,130 per short ton (st) for the week of June 29. The sideways move is the first of its kind since Jan. 21.

Some hot-rolled coil buyers expect continued incremental price increases from domestic mills. Others expect steeper increases, even if it risks inviting imports.

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.

What comes next? Do prices plateau and then dip in late Q3/Q4 – which is what we saw in 2021? Or do they continue to rise into 2027?

Steel buyers negotiation rates remain at or near historic lows across most sheet and plate products.

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

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

US sheet prices continue to move higher on extremely limited spot availability, solid demand, and extended lead times.

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.

Nucor announced on Monday, June 22, that its consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled coil will be $1,130 per short ton for the week, up $5/st from last week. 

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

Some domestic plate market participants recently voiced concerns that current market conditions will impact fabrication and manufacturing, which rely on steady product supply.   

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.