Steel Products Prices North America

SMU Price Ranges & Indices: Flat Rolled Up, Plate Flat
Written by Brett Linton
March 12, 2019
Flat rolled prices moved a bit over the past week, while plate prices remained unchanged. Benchmark hot rolled was up $10 per ton as both the low and high end moved by $0.50/cwt. Hot rolled continues to be the weakest of the flat rolled products. The strongest are coated steels with a number of data providers reporting base prices at, or above, $43.00/cwt. Plate prices were unchanged as plate buyers digest the latest price announcement out of SSAB. SMU’s Price Momentum Indicator for plate is at Neutral due to the increase announcement.
Here is how we see prices this week:
Hot Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $690-$720 per ton ($34.50/cwt-$36.00/cwt) with an average of $705 per ton ($35.25/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. Both the lower and upper ends of our range rose $10 per ton compared to one week ago. Our overall average is up $10 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-$840 per ton ($40.00/cwt-$42.00/cwt) with an average of $820 per ton ($41.00/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range remained unchanged compared to last week, while the upper end rose $10 per ton. Our overall average is up $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 $40.50/cwt-$43.50/cwt ($810-$870 per ton) with an average of $42.00/cwt ($840 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range rose $10 per ton compared to one week ago, while the upper end rose $20 per ton. Our overall average is up $15 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 $888-$948 per net ton with an average of $918 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.
Galvanized Lead Times: 5-8 weeks
Galvalume Coil: SMU base price range is $41.50/cwt-$43.50/cwt ($830-$870 per ton) with an average of $42.50/cwt ($850 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range remained unchanged compared to last week, while the upper end rose $10 per ton. 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-$1,161 per net ton with an average of $1,141 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. Both the lower and upper ends of our range remained the same compared to one week ago. Our overall average is unchanged compared to last week. Our price momentum on plate steel is Neutral, meaning we expect prices to remain steady over the 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
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