SMU Data and Models
October 17, 2013
Mill Lead Times & Mill Negotiations
Written by John Packard
Domestic mill lead times, which had been relatively flat since the beginning of September according to past SMU steel market surveys, are beginning to indicate a modest strengthening. Our survey respondents put hot rolled lead times at 4.07 weeks (last year in mid-October they were 2.93 weeks) which is up slightly from the 3.94 weeks reported at the beginning of this month. Cold rolled lead times are now averaging 6.10 weeks (last year 4.90 weeks), galvanized moved out the most to 6.26 weeks (last year 4.91 weeks) and Galvalume moved out to 6.56 weeks (last year 6.40 weeks) from early October levels which were reported to be 6.33 weeks.
