Lead Times Show Little Strength in Mill Spot Order Books

Twice per month, Steel Market Update (SMU) conducts an analysis of the flat rolled steel market from the perspective of active buyers and sellers of sheet and coil products. We invite approximately 560 companies to participate through the use of a questionnaire that we have been using since 2008.

One of the areas probed is in regards to North American (specifically U.S. and Canadian) steel mill lead times. We do not attempt to discover the exact lead times for new prime orders at specific mills rather we are looking for any changes in the trend over time.