Tag: Steel and Scrap Prices

The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and prime scrap prices narrowed further in August, according to Steel Market Update’s most recent pricing data.

Sheet prices slipped for the third consecutive week on continued discounts from certain mills for larger buyers.

August could see US scrap prices stabilizing, or even rising, depending on the grade or region, scrap sources told SMU.

Hot-rolled coil prices remain rangebound between roughly $850-900 per ton ($42.50-45 per cwt), according to our latest market check. You could say that’s not news. Our HRC index settled at $870 per ton on Tuesday afternoon. A week-over-week decline of $20 per ton from $890 last week might be little more than noise. You’d want to […]

The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and prime scrap prices continued to narrow in July, according to Steel Market Update data. SMU’s average HRC price rose this week, while busheling scrap tags fell. Our HRC average price rose $10 per net ton week over week to $890 per ton ($44.50 per cwt) as of Tuesday, July 11.  Busheling tags, […]

The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and prime scrap prices narrowed further in June, according to Steel Market Update data. Both the averages of SMU’s HRC and busheling scrap prices slipped this week. Our HRC average fell $5 per net ton week-over-week to sit at $930 per ton ($46.50 per cwt) as of Tuesday, June 13.  Meanwhile, after settling, […]

The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and prime scrap prices narrowed in May from April after having widened since the beginning of the year, according to Steel Market Update data. Both SMU’s hot-rolled coil price average and busheling prices dropped this week. Our hot-rolled coil average slipped $15 per ton week over week to $1,105 per ton ($55.25/cwt) […]

The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and prime scrap prices has widened again in April from March, though much smaller than last month’s number, according to Steel Market Update data. Both SMU’s hot-rolled coil price average and busheling prices dropped this week. Our hot-rolled coil average slipped $15 per ton week-over-week to $1,145 per ton ($57.25 per cwt) as […]

The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and prime scrap prices has widened significantly in March as both products saw large price gains, according to Steel Market Update data. With a flurry of recent price increases, our hot-rolled coil price average jumped $25 per ton week over week to $1,140 per ton ($57 per cwt) as of March 21.  […]

The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and prime scrap prices has widened in February, according to Steel Market Update data. Prices for both products increased in February month over month.  Our hot-rolled coil price average rose $15 per ton week over week to $825 per ton per net ton ($41.25 per cwt) as of Feb. 14.  […]

The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and prime scrap prices has remained relatively flat vs December levels, according to Steel Market Update data. Prices for both products rose in January vs. the end of 2022.  Our hot-rolled coil price average ticked up $5 per ton week over week to $740 per net ton ($37.00 per cwt) as […]

The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and prime scrap prices is narrowing for the second consecutive month, according to Steel Market Update data. Prices for both products increased in December, following five consecutive months of declines. The latest HRC-prime spread is one of the lowest recorded in more than two years. The spread is now back […]

Is the market at a bottom or not? Cleveland-Cliffs and US Steel have each announced price hikes of $60 per ton ($3 per cwt). And we’re told other mills might follow. If this isn’t a bottom, it sure looks like domestic mills are trying to create one with a floor of ~$600 per ton for […]

The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and prime scrap prices has begun to narrow again after three months of stability, according to recent Steel Market Update data. Prices for both products continue to move lower, as they have most weeks since May. The latest HRC-prime spread is exactly one-fourth of what it was this time […]

SMU has released its latest full survey results, and I want to highlight some big changes that we’ve seen in the data compared to just two weeks ago. Chief among them is what appears to be a big shift in service center pricing and buying patterns. We had seen most service centers trying to hold […]

The relationship between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and prime scrap prices has stabilized in the last few weeks, according to Steel Market Update data. After briefly stalling in August, hot rolled prices have began to slide downwards again since the beginning of this month. Busheling scrap prices settled at down $45 per gross ton last week, the […]

Time for a contrarian, optimistic thought experiment. First the bad news: Sentiment is increasingly bearish on months of falling steel and scrap prices, nearly all respondents to our latest survey report that mills are willing to negotiate lower still, and flattish lead times provide paltry evidence for a rebound. A quick check of the headlines […]

Supported by high finished steel and scrap prices, Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc. expects its results for full-year fiscal 2022 to be the second best in the company’s history. This week, the Portland, Ore.-based scrap recycler and long steel producer announced its preliminary results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2022. Although […]

The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and prime scrap prices has changed course in recent weeks, according to Steel Market Update data. Busheling scrap prices declined for the fifth consecutive month in September, while hot-rolled prices have levelled out in recent weeks. Overall, we had seen a shrinking delta between the two products from May […]

The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and prime scrap prices continues to narrow, according to Steel Market Update data. Busheling scrap prices have declined each of the last four months, as have hot-rolled prices – but at a greater rate than scrap. The result: a shrinking delta between the two products. The latest spread is one-third what […]

The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and prime scrap prices is back on the downward trend seen prior to the Russia-Ukraine war, according to Steel Market Update data through this week. The HRC-scrap spread peaked last September, falling to an 18-month low in early March and briefly rebounding through May. The latest spread is nearly […]

The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and prime scrap prices is resuming the downward trend seen prior to the Russia-Ukraine war, according to the latest Steel Market Update data. The HRC-scrap spread reached an 18-month low in early March. The latest spread, calculated through June 14, is less than half what it was this time last year […]

Steel Market Update sources expect ferrous scrap prices to decline in June, following record high prices in March through May. Some expect prime grades to decline as much as $50 per gross ton from May, with obsolete grades down anywhere from $20-$50 per ton. “Markets are worsening by the day. It looks like there is continued […]

According to the latest Steel Market Update data, the spread between hot rolled coil prices and prime scrap prices has leveled out over the past eight weeks, after reaching an 18-month low in early March. The latest spread through May 10 is down compared to this time last year, but still higher than pre-pandemic spreads. […]

According to the latest Steel Market Update data, the spread between hot rolled coil prices and prime scrap prices has changed course after reaching an 18-month low in March. The latest spread is in line with levels seen this time last year, and two times higher than pre-pandemic spreads. The SMU hot rolled coil price average […]

According to the latest Steel Market Update data, the spread between hot rolled coil prices and prime scrap is slowly shrinking from the September 2021 peak. The latest spread is in line with levels seen in early-2021 but two times higher than pre-pandemic spreads. {loadposition reserved_message} Last week, the SMU hot rolled price average declined for the […]

According to the latest Steel Market Update data, the spread between hot rolled coil prices and prime scrap is slowly shrinking from the September 2021 peak. The latest spread is in line with levels seen in early-2021 but two times higher than pre-pandemic spreads. Last week, the SMU hot rolled price average declined for the 18th consecutive […]

When the books are written on a historic year for steel prices, we will probably look back at August and September as the months when things started falling apart. Why? Because that’s when the extraordinay gaps – between U.S. steel prices and those abroad, between steel prices and scrap prices, and between market senitment and […]

Nucor has enough raw material to supply its planned $2.7 billion, 3-million tpy sheet mill, but is exploring new technologies that might help it further reduce carbon emissions. The Charlotte, N.C.-based steelmaker is eyeing a range of options – including increased use of shredded scrap in its sheet mills’ electric-arc furnaces (EAFs), “green” pig iron […]

The traditional correlations between finished steel and scrap prices have broken down this year, and historical spreads might remain off-kilter as more electric-arc furnace (EAF) mills come online globally, CRU Senior Analyst Ryan McKinley said. Crude steel output via EAFs in North America is expected to grow by about 16 million metric tonnes, approximately 20%, […]