Steel Products Prices North America

SMU Price Ranges & Indices: Where Do We Go From Here?

January 30, 2019

We have seen Nucor, U.S. Steel, NLMK USA and ArcelorMittal move spot flat rolled base prices up $40 per ton effective immediately. That is what was announced this week. The reality is not yet clear, and the prices referenced in tonight’s pricing assessment only marginally take the increases into account as negotiations are very early and the marching orders to the steel mill representatives are not yet clearly understood by steel buyers.

Here is how we see prices this week:

Hot Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $640-$700 per ton ($32.00/cwt-$35.00/cwt) with an average of $670 per ton ($33.50/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range declined $10 per ton compared to one week ago, while the upper end fell $20 per ton. Our overall average is down $15 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on hot rolled steel is Neutral meaning we expect prices to remain steady over the next 30 to 60 days.

Hot Rolled Lead Times: 2-4 weeks

Cold Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $760-$790 per ton ($38.00/cwt-$39.50/cwt) with an average of $775 per ton ($38.75/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range rose $10 per ton compared to last week, while the upper end fell $40 per ton. Our overall average is down $15 compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on cold rolled steel is Neutral meaning we expect prices to remain steady over the next 30 to 60 days.

Cold Rolled Lead Times: 3-8 weeks

Galvanized Coil: SMU base price range is $38.00/cwt-$41.75/cwt ($760-$835 per ton) with an average of $39.875/cwt ($797.50 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range remained the same compared to one week ago, while the upper end rose $5 per ton. Our overall average is up $2.50 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on galvanized steel is Neutral meaning we expect prices to remain steady over the next 30 to 60 days.

Galvanized .060” G90 Benchmark: SMU price range is $838-$913 per net ton with an average of $875.50 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvanized Lead Times: 4-9 weeks

Galvalume Coil: SMU base price range is $38.00/cwt-$42.00/cwt ($760-$840 per ton) with an average of $40.00/cwt ($800 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range fell $10 per ton compared to last week, while the upper end remaind the same. Our overall average is down $5 compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on Galvalume steel is Neutral meaning we expect prices to remain steady over the next 30 to 60 days.

Galvalume .0142” AZ50, Grade 80 Benchmark: SMU price range is $1,051-$1,131 per net ton with an average of $1,091 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvalume Lead Times: 4-9 weeks

Plate: SMU price range is $960-$1,000 per ton ($48.00/cwt-$50.00/cwt) with an average of $980 per ton ($49.00/cwt) FOB delivered to the customer’s facility. Both the lower and upper ends of our range declined $10 per ton compared to one week ago. Our overall average is down $10 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on plate steel is Lower meaning we expect mild erosion over next 30 to 60 days.

Plate Lead Times: 4-9 weeks, allocation/controlled order entry

SMU Note: Below is a graphic showing our hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized, Galvalume and plate price history. This data is available here on our website with our interactive pricing tool. Note that plate prices are not yet available on our website, but we are in the process of adding that dataset. If you need help navigating the website or need to know your login information, contact us at info@SteelMarketUpdate.com or 800-432-3475.

Brett Linton

Brett Linton is a senior analyst for Steel Market Update, where he began his career. Linton has been in the steel industry since 2010. He has held roles as a category manager and strategic insights director at Reibus before returning to SMU in 2024. He is a graduate of The University of North Georgia with a degree in Finance and Accounting. Brett can be reached at brett@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-314-0179.