SMU Data and Models
June 19, 2016
Steel Mill Lead Times: Past Peak?
Written by John Packard
Steel mill lead times, the amount of time it takes to get steel produced from the time a flat rolled steel order is placed, have apparently peaked and we are beginning to see signs of a slight pull back in all but coated products. Having said that, lead times still continue to be highly extended compared to one year ago.
Hot rolled lead times, which one year ago averaged 4 weeks (4.06) are now averaging 5.00 weeks according to the most recent results produced by our flat rolled steel market trends analysis this past week. The 5 weeks is two weeks longer than what we were reporting back in October and November 2015.
