Steel Products Prices North America
Domestic vs. World Export Hot Rolled Price Spread Widens
Written by Brett Linton
April 20, 2014
The spread between the world hot rolled export price and the SMU USA HR price has widened since our last update by $39 per net ton (NT). The current spread is at the highest level since our data history began at the start of 2012.
Based on the latest SteelBenchmarker price report, the world HR price is $500 per net ton (NT). The spread between the world HR price and the latest Steel Market Update hot rolled price FOB Domestic mill east of the Rockies is $170 per ton. When taking freight, handling and trader’s margin into account (approximately $70 per ton) the spread is reduced to $100 per ton. In late March the spread between world export pricing and SMU indexed pricing was $131 total or $61 including freight and trader’s costs/margin.
This same time last year, the world hot rolled export price (including freight & traders costs/margin) was running with at minimal spread compared to the SMU HR price. By late May and into early June the spread began to increase as US HRC prices started to rise.
With the widening gap between world and domestic HR prices, steel imports are sure to gain even more steam and remain strong throughout Q2 and into Q3.
Brett Linton
Read more from Brett LintonLatest in Steel Products Prices North America
Domestic CRC prices surge ahead of imports
The price spread between stateside-produced CR and imports reached its widest margin in over a year.
Evraz raises plate prices $160/ton
Evraz North America (NA) has followed Nucor and SSAB with a plate price increase of its own: up $160 per short ton (st). The increase was effective immediately for all new orders of carbon, high-strength low-alloy, and normalized and quenched-and-tempered plate products, as well as for hot-rolled coil, the steelmaker said in a letter to […]
Nucor lifts HR coil to $820/ton
Nucor has increased its consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled (HR) coil for a fourth consecutive week.
Nucor pushes HR spot price to $790/ton
Nucor increased its consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled (HR) coil to $790 per short ton (st) on Monday, Feb. 10 – a $15/st bump vs. last week. The Charlotte, N.C.-based company has raised its weekly CSP by $40/st over the past three weeks after maintaining tags at $750/st since Nov. 12, according to SMU’s […]
ArcelorMittal Dofasco increases spot sheet prices
ArcelorMittal Dofasco is raising spot sheet prices by CA$100 per ton (US$70/ton). The Hamilton, Ontario-based flat rolled steelmaker told customers the increase is effective immediately for all new orders. It did not specify to what level this brings its base prices but noted its right to re-quote previous but unconfirmed orders. “We will continue to […]