Steel Products Prices North America
April 9, 2019
CRU: Rising Imports Combine with High Inventories to Pressure Long Products Prices
Written by Tim Triplett
By CRU North America Analyst Ryan McKinley
U.S. long product prices have come under downward pressure, driven primarily by persistently high inventory levels. This inventory build-up has been compounded by an increase in import levels in March relative to the prior month, and consistently wet weather in many regions of the U.S. has delayed any pickup in demand from the construction sector. Still, beam prices have found support from the recent announcement of a trade case on prefabricated steel products, and merchant bar has been supported as mills held their ground against prior month imports from Mexico.
