Steel Products Prices North America

SMU Price Ranges & Indices: Up Another $10-20

Written by Brett Linton

December 10, 2019

Flat rolled steel prices increased by $15 per ton or more in the past week, depending on the product, while plate prices rose by $10 per ton, as the mills continued trying to collect their recent price increases. Price momentum is pointing to likely higher prices in the weeks to come as the mills try to get into a strong position for the start of the new year.

Here is how we see prices this week:

Hot Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $540-$600 per ton ($27.00-$30.00/cwt) with an average of $570 per ton ($28.50/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range increased $20 per ton compared to one week ago, while the upper end rose $10. Our overall average is up $15 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on hot rolled steel is Higher, meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.

Hot Rolled Lead Times: 3-7 weeks

Cold Rolled Coil: SMU price range is $740-$780 per ton ($37.00-$39.00/cwt) with an average of $760 per ton ($38.00/cwt) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range increased $40 per ton compared to last week, while the upper end rose $20 per ton. Our overall average is up $30 per ton compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on cold rolled steel is Higher, meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.

Cold Rolled Lead Times: 5-8 weeks

Galvanized Coil: SMU base price range is $37.00-$39.00/cwt ($740-$780 per ton) with an average of $38.00/cwt ($760 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. The lower end of our range increased $20 per ton compared to one week ago, while the upper end rose $10. Our overall average is up $15 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on galvanized steel is Higher, meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.

Galvanized .060” G90 Benchmark: SMU price range is $809-$849 per net ton with an average of $829 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvanized Lead Times: 5-10 weeks

Galvalume Coil: SMU base price range is $38.00-$39.00/cwt ($760-$780 per ton) with an average of $38.50/cwt ($770 per ton) FOB mill, east of the Rockies. Both the lower and upper ends of our range increased $30 per ton compared to last week. Our overall average is up $20 per ton compared to one week ago. Our price momentum on Galvalume steel is Higher, meaning we expect prices to increase over the next 30 days.

Galvalume .0142” AZ50, Grade 80 Benchmark: SMU price range is $1,051-$1,071 per net ton with an average of $1,061 per ton FOB mill, east of the Rockies.

Galvalume Lead Times: 6-9 weeks

Plate: SMU price range is $660-$720 per ton ($34.00-$36.00/cwt) with an average of $690 per ton ($34.50/cwt) FOB delivered to the customer’s facility. The lower end of our range increased $20 per ton compared to one week ago, while the upper end remained the same. Our overall average is up $10 per ton compared to last week. Our price momentum on plate steel is Neutral, meaning we are waiting for the market to establish a clear price direction.

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.

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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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