Steel Products Prices North America

Comparison Price Indices: Prices Surge

December 17, 2017

Flat rolled and plate steel prices moved higher this past week, according to all of the steel indexes followed by Steel Market Update.

Benchmark hot rolled jumped to $640 per ton on both Steel Market Update (SMU) and Platts indexes. SteelBenchmarker did report prices and their HRC average was $626 per ton, up $8 per ton from the last time they reported (SteelBenchmarker only reports twice per month).

Cold rolled prices also surged with Platts hitting $825 per ton, SMU averaging $820 per ton and SteelBenchmarker up $38 to $808 per ton.

Coated products also moved higher with SMU reporting the .060” G90 average up $15 per ton, while .0142” AZ50, Grade 80, increased by $10 per ton.

Plate prices also moved higher with SMU moving $20 per ton to $715 per ton delivered. SteelBenchmarker ($738 per ton FOB Mill) and Platts ($684 per ton FOB SE USA Mill) were both higher than when they reported last.

SMU Note: Galvanized prices include $86 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)

Note that SteelBenchmarker produces numbers twice per month. On the weeks they produce numbers, we will include them in the average. The weeks where they do not produce numbers (NA = not available) we will not include their outdated numbers in the CPI average.