Steel Products
Mill Lead Times & Negotiations
Written by John Packard
January 9, 2013
Mill lead times shrunk on all but Galvalume products according to the results of our most recent SMU steel survey completed this past Friday. On a weighted average basis hot rolled lead times shrunk to 3.42 weeks, cold rolled to 5.25 weeks, galvanized to 5.33 weeks while Galvalume lengthened to 6.17 weeks.
We provided the first week of January 2012 lead times for you to compare against the most recent data.
Mills were most receptive regarding negotiating prices on Hot Rolled – 73 percent, up from 66 percent in mid-December; Cold Rolled – 64 percent, remained the same as mid-December; Galvanized – 73 percent, down from 81 percent in mid-December and Galvalume – 33 percent, which is significantly higher than the 70 percent noted in mid-December.

John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Steel Products

SMU flat-rolled market survey results now available
SMU’s latest steel buyers market survey results are now available on our website to all premium members. After logging in at steelmarketupdate.com, visit the pricing and analysis tab and look under the “survey results” section for “latest survey results.” Past survey results are also available under that selection. If you need help accessing the survey results, or if […]

CRU tariff webinar replay now available
CRU’s latest webinar replay on how Trump’s tariffs affect the global steel market is now available on our website to all members. After logging in at steelmarketupdate.com, visit the community tab and look under the “previous webinars” section of the dropdown menu. You’ll find not only this special CRU webinar but also all past Community […]

US, offshore CRC prices diverge
US cold-rolled (CR) coil prices declined this week, slipping for the first time since early February. Most offshore markets deviated, moving higher this week.

Construction growth slowed in March on tariff woes: Dodge
The decline comes after reaching a record high in January to kickstart the year.

Return of S232 zapped gap between US and EU HR prices, Asian HR remains cheaper
Domestic hot-rolled (HR) coil prices declined this week for a third straight week. Most offshore markets bucked the trend and gained ground. Uncertainty in the US market around tariffs, especially after “Liberation Day,” caused US prices to slip as buyers moved to the sidelines. It’s unclear to date whether the 90-day pause on the more […]