Steel Products Prices North America
November 3, 2020
CRU: Rising Global Steel Prices and Trade Uncertainty Limit U.S. Imports
Written by Estelle Tran
By CRU Analyst Estelle Tran, from CRU’s Global Steel Trade Service
The U.S. market is at a unique point where steel buyers could be convinced to buy imports because of extreme supply tightness. With about 7Mt of blast furnace capacity remaining idled in the U.S. and Canada, sheet mills in operation are effectively running at 100% and are controlling order entry for January. Inventories below two months of supply at service centers, extended lead times and delivery delays have service centers searching for supply options; however, with global prices elevated as well, the prices may not be attractive.
