Steel Products
February 18, 2021
Steel Mill Lead Times: Inch Out a Bit Further
Written by Tim Triplett
Many buyers have been expecting lead times for deliveries of spot steel orders to begin shortening in response to added mill capacity and more import arrivals, but there’s no hint of such a change yet in Steel Market Update lead times data. In fact, SMU’s check of the market this week shows lead times for flat rolled and plate orders inching out a bit further as mills scramble to meet demand in a tight market.
Current hot rolled lead times now average 8.13 weeks, up a bit from 7.91 two weeks ago and 7.57 at this time last month. At more than eight weeks, HR lead times are two and a half times longer than their low point last April at 3.25 weeks shortly after the pandemic hit.
