Steel Products Prices North America
November 14, 2013
Contract Negotiations Heating Up – Too Little Too Late?
Written by John Packard
Negotiations on 2014 flat rolled steel contracts are heating up. Sources are advising Steel Market Update that there has been some movement in the negotiation process by the domestic mills which has allowed a number of the mills to close some 2014 business. We are also hearing from multiple sources of a move by buyers to procure a higher percentage of tons either into the spot market or offshore (or both).
With lead times slipping into late December and January (with ThyssenKrupp Steel USA now moving into February) one thing seems to be certain – the next few weeks are going to be critical for both the mills and the end users/service centers if they want to get contracts covered for 1st Quarter 2014.
