Steel Products Prices North America

Comparison Price Indices: Mixed Results are Back

Written by John Packard

September 17, 2017

Flat rolled steel average prices are once again “mixed” as some items have dropped, some have remained the same and some rose last week compared to the previous week. We received numbers from Platts, SteelBenchmarker and our own steel index late last week and we found hot rolled down $5 on SMU, up $7 on SteelBenchmarker (SteelBenchmarker only produces prices twice per month) and unchanged at Platts.

Average cold rolled coil prices were also mixed with SMU and Platts unchanged and SteelBenchmarker up $3 per ton.

Galvanized and Galvalume were both down on the Steel Market Update index with GI (.060″ G90) averaging $883 per ton, down $10, and AZ (.0142″ AZ50 Grade 80) down $15 per ton to $1,101 per ton. We have not adjusted our galvanized extras as the three largest steel mills have not announced changes: U.S. Steel, Nucor and ArcelorMittal.

Plate prices were mixed with SMU and SteelBenchmarker seeing discrete plate prices up $10, while Platts took their prices down $10. Please note SMU prices are freight prepaid (delivered) to the customer whereby Platts and SteelBenchmarker are FOB Mill.

SMU Note: Galvanized prices include $78 in extras for a .060″ G90 product. Galvalume prices include $291 in extras for a .0142” AZ50 Grade 80 product.

FOB points for each index:

SMU: Domestic Mill, East of the Rockies.
SteelBenchmarker: Domestic Mill, East of the Mississippi.
Platts: Northern Indiana Domestic Mill.

Plate price FOB points are different for each of the indexes:

SMU: FOB Delivered to the Customer (includes freight)
Platts: FOB Southeaster Mill (does not include freight)

John Packard

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