SMU Data and Models
September 5, 2013
Mill Lead Times & Negotiations: Trends are Reversing Themselves
Written by John Packard
Mill lead times, as reported through our proprietary steel market survey, are shrinking on three of the four flat rolled product categories followed by Steel Market Update. Hot rolled lead times which were referenced on a weighted average basis at 4.5 weeks at the beginning of August are now at 4.0 weeks. However, the 4.0 weeks is still much better than what we saw one year ago when buyers and sellers pegged HR at 3.35 weeks.
