Steel Products Prices North America

SMU Price Ranges & Indices: Prices Weaken

Written by Brett Linton

September 24, 2019

We saw further weakening in pricing this week, based on the active flat rolled and plate steel market trends questionnaire which began on Monday. We did see evidence of pressure on prices from a number of different areas. From the service centers, we saw reports of hot rolled at $500 per ton. However, we do not report those numbers in this evening’s range as the bulk of the numbers from both service centers and manufacturing companies was in the $530 to $570 range. However, as we reported last week, there does seem to be pressure on the mills to take prices down to the lowest levels seen earlier this year. We saw lower than reported prices on galvanized, as well. However, those were sporadic and we need further investigation before we feel comfortable putting them in our range. Our Price Momentum Indicator on all products is pointing to lower pricing over the next 30 days.

Here is how we see prices this week:

Hot Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $530-$570 per ton ($26.50-$28.50/cwt) with an average of $550 per ton ($27.50/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. 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 hot rolled steel is Lower, meaning we expect prices to decline over the next 30 days.

Hot Rolled Lead Times: 3-5 weeks

Cold Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $700-$760 per ton ($35.00-$38.00/cwt) with an average of $730 per ton ($36.50/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range declined $20 per ton compared to last week, while the upper end remained unchanged. Our overall average is down $10 per ton compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on cold rolled steel is now Lower, meaning we expect prices to decline over the next 30 days..

Cold Rolled Lead Times: 4-7 weeks

Galvanized Coil: SMU base price range is $34.50-$37.50/cwt ($690-$750 per ton) with an average of $36.00/cwt ($720 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range declined $20 per ton compared to one week ago, while the upper end fell $10 per ton. Our overall average is down $15 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on galvanized steel is now Lower, meaning we expect prices to decline over the next 30 days.

Galvanized .060” G90 Benchmark: SMU price range is $768-$828 per net ton with an average of $798 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvanized Lead Times: 4-8 weeks

Galvalume Coil: SMU base price range is $36.00-$38.00/cwt ($720-$760 per ton) with an average of $37.00/cwt ($740 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. Both the lower and upper ends of our range declined $10 per ton compared to last week. Our overall average is down $10 per ton compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on cold rolled steel is now Lower, meaning we expect prices to decline over the next 30 days.

Galvalume .0142” AZ50, Grade 80 Benchmark: SMU price range is $1,011-$1,051 per net ton with an average of $1,031 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvalume Lead Times: 6-8 weeks

Plate: SMU price range is $690-$750 per ton ($34.50-$37.50/cwt) with an average of $720 per ton ($36.00/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 now Lower, meaning we expect prices to decline over the next 30 days.

Plate Lead Times: 3-5 weeks

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.

Read more from Brett Linton

Latest in Steel Products Prices North America