SMU Data and Models
November 11, 2021
Steel Mill Lead Times: Hot Rolled Down to Seven Weeks
Written by Tim Triplett
Lead times for orders of flat rolled and plate steel continue to shorten, as expected in a period when steel prices are declining. SMU’s latest check of the market shows the typical hot rolled lead time has now dipped below seven weeks for the first time since November 2020. That’s nearly a month shorter than in May of this year when the average HR lead time was the longest ever recorded in SMU’s 10-year data history at 10.81 weeks.
The buyers polled by SMU this week reported mill lead times ranging from 4-11 weeks for hot rolled, 6-15 weeks for cold rolled, 7-15 weeks for galvanized, 6-12 weeks for Galvalume, and 4-8 weeks for plate.
