Tag: Sheet

Steel mill lead times extended marginally this week on most sheet products but declined for plate, according to responses from SMU’s latest market survey.

Just over half of the steel buyers who responded to our market survey this week reported that domestic mills are willing to talk price on new spot orders. Mills have begun to hold a firmer stance on prices over our last two surveys.  

SMU's sheet and plate steel prices moved higher in unison this week.

Nippon Steel is positioning U.S. Steel as a cornerstone of its global growth strategy, highlighting the US as the most developed and demand-rich market, especially for premium steel products used in the automotive, energy, and infrastructure sectors.

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.

ArcelorMittal Dofasco and Stelco joined recent moves by US mills to push sheet prices higher.

Shipments from US steel mills were strong in September, according to the latest figures provided by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).

Most sheet prices inched up again this week following mill efforts to set a floor under tags and to increase them from there.

Most steel buyers think that steel prices will continue to rise into the 2026. But they don’t see the kinds of big gains that have characterized past market upturns, according to the results of SMU’s latest steel market survey.

Most steel buyers responding to our market survey this week reported that domestic mills are considerably less willing to talk price on sheet and plate products than they were in recent weeks.

Steel mill lead times marginally extended for both sheet and plate products this week, according to responses from SMU’s latest market survey.

Sheet steel indices increased across the board this week, while plate prices held steady. All five of SMU’s price indices are higher than they were two weeks ago, and all but one are above levels recorded four weeks ago.

Nucor entered the fourth quarter with clear forward momentum: stronger-than-expected results, solid sheet and plate demand, and construction progress on a major new mill that should add capacity next year.

Nucor has raised its weekly spot list price on hot-rolled coil by $10 per short ton (st) after keeping it unchanged since Aug. 25.

NLMK USA plans to increase prices for hot-rolled and cold-rolled coil by at least $50 per short ton (st). The move is effective immediately for all spot orders, the steelmaker said in a letter to customers on Friday.

Our average HR coil price increased $5/short ton from last week, marking a second consecutive week of modest gains. Market participants generally attributed the increase to...

Steel mill lead times ticked lower across most sheet and plate products this week, according to responses from SMU’s latest market check.

September service center shipments and inventories report for sheet and plate

SMU’s HR price stands at $800/st on average, up $5/st from last week. The modest gain came as the low end of our range firmed, and despite the high end of our range declining slightly.

SMU has successfully completed an external review of all our prices. The review has concluded that they algin with principles set by the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).

There are days when this feels like a “nothing ever happens” market. Don’t get me wrong. Plenty is happening in the world. It’s just that none of it seems to matter when it comes to sheet and plate prices.

Tariffs are ultimately to blame for stagnant demand in the hot-rolled coil market, domestic market sources tell SMU.

SMU’s sheet and plate prices see-sawed this week as hot-rolled (HR) coil prices held their ground while prices for galvanized product slipped.

Nucor is keeping hot-rolled (HR) coil prices unchanged again this week, according to its latest consumer spot price (CSP) notice issued on Monday, Oct. 6

Participants in the hot-rolled sheet market expressed frustration with the continuing lack of demand this week. 

Sheet and plate lead times saw minor shifts this week, according to SMU’s latest market survey. Sheet times have inched up over the last month but remain within days of multi-year lows, as they have since May. Plate lead times have bobbed within a tight range for months, hovering roughly a week longer than this time last year.

Steel buyers say mills remain slightly more willing to negotiate spot prices for sheet and plate products than in mid-September, according to our latest market survey.

We moved our pricing momentum indicators from “lower” to “neutral” for all sheet products this week. For those keeping score, we had been at “lower” for six weeks. And I know some of you think we should have been there for even longer.

Market participants predicted that prices should be at or near a bottom. But while most seemed to agree on that point, many also said they saw little upside given a quiet spot market and ongoing concerns about demand.

Nucor is keeping hot-rolled (HR) coil prices unchanged again this week, according to its latest consumer spot price (CSP) notice issued on Monday, Sept. 29.