Steel Products Prices North America

SMU Price Ranges & Indices: No Big Moves

Written by Brett Linton

March 5, 2019

Steel Market Update did not see a huge move in flat rolled steel prices this week. Our benchmark hot rolled average rose a modest $5 per ton, but is still below $700 per ton and a long way away from the $730 per ton suggested by ArcelorMittal USA in their announcement email. The other flat rolled items were mixed with our cold rolled average actually declining $5 per ton. The strongest of the flat rolled products are coated steels. We did see a little weakening in plate prices as we did not pick up the over $1,000 per ton prices this week.

Here is how we see prices this week:

Hot Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $680-$710 per ton ($34.00/cwt-$35.50/cwt) with an average of $695 per ton ($34.75/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range rose $20 per ton compared to one week ago, while the upper end decreased $10 per ton. Our overall average is up $5 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on hot rolled steel is now Higher, meaning we anticipate HRC spot prices to rise over the next 30 days.

Hot Rolled Lead Times: 3-6 weeks

Cold Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $800-$830 per ton ($40.00/cwt-$41.50/cwt) with an average of $815 per ton ($40.75/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range remained the same compared to last week, while the upper end decreased $10 per ton. Our overall average is down $5 per ton compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on cold rolled steel is now Higher, meaning we expect prices to rise over the next 30 days.

Cold Rolled Lead Times: 5-8 weeks

Galvanized Coil: SMU base price range is $40.00/cwt-$42.50/cwt ($800-$850 per ton) with an average of $41.25/cwt ($825 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range fell $10 per ton compared to one week ago, while the upper end remained unchanged. Our overall average is down $5 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on galvanized steel is now Higher, meaning we expect prices to rise over the next 30 days.

Galvanized .060” G90 Benchmark: SMU price range is $878-$928 per net ton with an average of $903 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvanized Lead Times: 5-8 weeks

Galvalume Coil: SMU base price range is $41.50/cwt-$43.00/cwt ($830-$860 per ton) with an average of $42.25/cwt ($845 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range increased $10 per ton last week, while the upper end remained unchanged. Our overall average is up $5 per ton compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on Galvalume steel is now Higher, meaning we expect prices to rise over the next 30 days.

Galvalume .0142” AZ50, Grade 80 Benchmark: SMU price range is $1,121-$1,151 per net ton with an average of $1,136 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvalume Lead Times: 6-9 weeks

Plate: SMU price range is $980-$1,000 per ton ($49.00/cwt-$50.00/cwt) with an average of $990 per ton ($49.50/cwt) FOB delivered to the customer’s facility. The lower end of our range rose $20 per ton compared to one week ago, while the upper end decreased $30 per ton. Our overall average is down $5 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on plate steel is Lower, meaning we expect mild erosion over next 30 days.

Plate Lead Times: 6-9 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.

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