Steel Products Prices North America

Comparison Price Indices: The Pace of Sinking Prices Picks Up
Written by John Packard
October 2, 2016
Flat rolled steel prices took a nose dive this past week according to the steel indexes followed by Steel Market Update. We saw large double digit drops in hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized, Galvalume and plate.
Benchmark hot rolled continues its march toward sub-$500 per ton averages. We lowered our average by $15 per ton to $510 per ton. Platts also dropped their HRC average by $15 and their $515 per ton number is close to ours. Steelbenchmarker, which only produces prices twice per month, shed $47 per ton off their index average but they still trail SMU and Platts by $15-$20 per ton.
On cold rolled both SMU and Platts saw prices down $35 per ton taking our index average to $725 per ton while Platts moved their number to $730 per ton. For some reason SteelBenchmarker did not report cold rolled prices this past week.
SMU saw galvanized prices as being $20 per ton lower last week than the previous week. We are now reporting .060” G90 galvanized as being $790 per ton.
Galvalume dropped $10 per ton (SMU) while Platt prices were seen as being $15 per ton lower than the week prior.
FOB Points for each index:
SMU: Domestic Mill, East of the Rockies.
SteelBenchmarker: Domestic Mill, East of the Mississippi.
Platts: Northern Indiana Domestic Mill.

John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Steel Products Prices North America

SMU Price Ranges: HR slips, hopes for Q4 rebound still standing
SMU’s price ranges were mixed again this week as the market continues to seek a floor amid industry hopes for a Q4 rebound.

Nucor’s hot band list price holds at $875/ton
Nucor held its hot-rolled coil list price flat again this week, according to its Monday, Sept. 15 consumer spot price (CSP) notice.

Market says cutting interest rates will spur stalled domestic plate demand
Market sources say demand for domestic plate refuses to budge despite stagnating prices.

SMU Price Ranges: Some predict bottom is near as big discounts dry up
Sheet prices were mixed this week as some mills continued to offer significant discounts to larger buyers while others have shifted toward being more disciplined, market participants said.

SMU Price Ranges: Tags mixed as uncertainty weighs on market
SMU’s hot-rolled (HR) coil price held steady this week while prices for other sheet and plate products declined.