Steel Mill Lead Times: Declines Continue

Lead times on spot orders from domestic steel mills continue to decline, with no sign yet of how soon they might level out. Declining lead times are a leading indicator of declining steel prices.

The average lead time for hot rolled is now approaching four and a half weeks, while cold rolled and galvanized are down around seven weeks, based on Steel Market Update’s check of the market in the first week of the New Year. (SMU measures lead times as the time it takes from when an order is placed with the mill to when the order is processed and ready for shipping, not including delivery time to the buyer.)