Lead Times Mostly Steady on Sheet, Shorten on Plate

Mill lead times for most sheet products this week were basically flat compared to SMU’s market check two weeks ago. Those for plate shortened once again.

Steel buyers this week reported lead times for hot-rolled sheet ranging from 3 to 7 weeks. This week’s average of 4.64 weeks was little changed from the 4.58 weeks reported in the last market check two weeks earlier. HR lead times have remained below the 5-week threshold since the beginning of June.

Laura Miller

Laura Miller is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. She has held a variety of positions within the steel industry since 2007, including reporting and editing for Steel Business Briefing/Platts, the Association for Iron and Steel Technology, and Kallanish Commodities, as well as marketing for what was then known as ThyssenKrupp Steel USA (now AM/NS Calvert). After a five-year hiatus working across other industries, she returned to steel in 2021 and has covered the flat rolled, tubular, and trade areas of the industry. She is a member of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries and a past-president of the AWMI Pittsburgh Chapter. She holds a BA in Latin American Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She can be reached at laura@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7869.

Laura Miller

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