SMU Data and Models

September 7, 2014
SMU Survey Reports Steel Mills More Willing to Negotiate Flat Rolled Steel Prices
Written by John Packard
Steel Market Update conducted one of our flat rolled steel market surveys this past week. One of the key questions asked during the survey process is regarding the willingness of the domestic flat rolled steel mills to negotiate spot pricing.
In last week’s survey our respondents reported a jump in the percentage reporting the steel mills as willing to negotiate hot rolled spot prices. We had been seeing a reduction in the willingness for a couple of months (see graphic below), actually bottoming in our mid August survey at 35 percent. This past week, 66 percent of our respondents reported the mills as willing to negotiate HRC pricing.


