Plate
March 8, 2021
Written by Michael Cowden
Plate from South Korean steelmaker Hyundai is being offered for $980-1,020 per ton ($49-51/cwt) for third-quarter delivery to U.S. ports, according to market participants.
The lower end of that range is representative of the delivered duty paid (DDP) price to Gulf Coast ports. The higher end of the range is for delivery to West Coast ports.
Steel imports into the US crept higher in August and continued climbing in September, according to the Department of Commerce's latest import license data. August imports rose 3.4% from July to a 15-month high. September license data collected through Oct. 5 shows another 6.2% month-on-month increase. Imports continue to recover from some of the lowest levels since 2020, seen late last year through February this year.
Earlier this week, SMU polled steel buyers on topics ranging from market prices, demand, and inventories to tariffs, imports, and evolving market events. Below, we share a selection of the comments we received, in each buyer’s own words.
SMU’s latest Flat-Rolled Steel Survey points to largely stable demand, but foreign steel orders have softened since the previous survey, and service centers continue to report stronger activity than manufacturers.
SSAB Americas aims to increase base plate prices by at least $60 per short ton (st), according to a letter sent to customers on Monday.
The Department of Commerce thinks revoking the anti-dumping duty (AD) orders on cut-to-length carbon steel plate from China and Russia would lead to the recurrence of dumping at significant margins.