SMU Data and Models
June 7, 2018
Steel Mill Lead Times: HR Peaked, Coated Up
Written by Tim Triplett
Mill lead times for hot rolled steel appear to have peaked in the current market cycle, while lead times for coated steels extended a bit in the past few weeks, according to Steel Market Update’s latest market trends data. Lead times for hot rolled now average about five and a half weeks, cold rolled about seven and a half weeks, and galvanized and Galvalume nearly eight and a half weeks.
Lead times on hot rolled steel peaked in early April at 5.73 weeks and have continued to shorten. Hot rolled lead times now average 5.45 weeks based on the responses from this week’s flat rolled steel market trends questionnaire. They are still extended compared with a year ago, however, when HRC lead times averaged 3.88 weeks.
