Steel Mill Lead Times: Extend for Coated, Plate

Lead times for coated steels and steel plate have extended a bit, but lead times for orders of hot rolled and cold rolled have seen little change in the past few weeks. Lead times for steel delivery are a measure of demand at the mill level. The longer the lead time, the busier the mill.

Except for plate, lead times for all products are up to a week longer than they were at this time last year, signaling healthier demand. The average lead time for hot rolled steel is now nearly five weeks, cold rolled is six and a half weeks and coated steels are around seven weeks. Plate lead times are now longer than five weeks.