SMU Data and Models
March 21, 2019
Steel Mill Lead Times: Not Much Change
Written by Tim Triplett
Lead times for spot orders of flat rolled steel saw little additional change in the past two weeks after moving out by a few days following the mill price increase announcements in January and February. Hot rolled lead times now average a bit more than four weeks, cold rolled more than six weeks, plate six and a half weeks and galvanized nearing seven weeks.
Lead times for steel delivery are a measure of demand at the mill level. The longer the lead time, the busier the mills. The busier the mills, the less likely they are to negotiate on price.
