Summer Doldrums Affecting Service Center Spot Prices?

Flat rolled and plate steel distributors, as well as the manufacturers who purchase spot material from the distributors and wholesalers, are reporting a softening of spot pricing. That is the spot pricing service centers are offering their manufacturing customers.

Last week, Steel Market Update conducted our early August flat rolled and plate steel market analysis. We invited approximately 630 people representing about 610 companies to participate in our questionnaire. The invitations are intentionally stacked so service centers and manufacturing companies combined equal at least 80 percent of the total responses. In last week’s survey, 54 percent of the respondents were service centers and 33 percent manufacturing companies.