Steel Products Prices North America

Comparison Price Indices: Steel Prices Continue March Higher

Written by John Packard

February 11, 2018

According to at least one steel index, hot rolled prices surged higher this past week. Steel Market Update saw the markets as being higher with coated making the largest weekly move.

When it came to benchmark hot rolled, Platts moved their pricing up by $28 per ton (actually $27.50 but we rounded to $28) as they now see HRC spot prices averaging $746 per ton ($745.50). SMU HRC average rose by $10 per ton with our average now at $725 per ton. SteelBenchmarker did not report HRC or any other prices for the week as they only report twice per month.

Cold rolled was stable on the SMU index at $850 per ton, while Platts moved up by $5 to $868 per ton.

Galvanized .060” G90 was reported by SMU to be $40 per ton higher at $961 per ton, while .0142” AZ50, Grade 80 Galvalume was up $25 to $1,166 per ton.

SMU reported plate prices as being $10 per ton lower than the prior week. Platts increased their plate pricing to $810 per ton. Both indices are now based on delivered pricing.

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 Midwest Mill (includes 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 The weeks where they do not produce numbers (NA = not available) we will not include their outdated numbers in the CPI average.

John Packard

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