Steel Products Prices North America
March 13, 2018
SMU Price Ranges & Indices: Supply Concerns Push Prices Higher
Written by John Packard
Flat rolled sheet prices, as well as plate prices, surged this week as steel mills moved to allocation or totally withdraw from the market pending further examination of the Section 232 ruling and how it will impact each mill’s ability to produce sheet and plate products. SMU is hearing of offers on hot rolled as high as $900 per ton ($45.00/cwt), but we have not yet heard of a transaction at that price level. We are also gathering intelligence suggesting some mills have taken coated steel base prices (galvanized and Galvalume) into the the low $50s (prior to extras). Not everyone is a believer in a possible shortage caused by the blockage of foreign steel. However, there appear to be more believers than doubters, and that is showing up in the price ranges SMU is reporting this evening on hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized, Galvalume and plate steels.
Here is how we see prices this week:
