SMU Survey Respondents Flag Fuel Surcharges as Costs March Higher

“The surcharge will continue to be added to the freight on all invoices until further notice,” the Follansbee, W.Va.-based steel coating mill said in a letter to customers last week.

Wheeling-Nippon is hardly alone in raising fuel surcharges.

NLMK USA earlier this month announced that it would be increasing its fuel surcharge from 42% to 48%. The steelmaker – which operates mills in northwest Indiana and western Pennsylvania – made the increase effective with shipments beginning last week.

And Nucor said earlier this month that it would adjust its fuel surcharges more often in response to record prices.

The big jumps in fuel surchages comes as oil prices have skyrocketed upward from approximately $66 per barrel in November to more than $112 per barrel at the end of last week. Higher fuel costs stem in part from sacntions placed on Russia, one of the world’s largest oil producers, for the invasion of Ukraine.

SMU survey respondents have flagged higher fuel prices as among their primary concerns when it comes to supply chain challenges. Here are a few recent comments they provided when asked whether supply chain issues were getting better or worse:

“Getting worse and getting worse for several reasons. Fuel prices are number one; labor shortages, number two; and global issues, number three.”

“Everything from slitting to freight is getting worse.”

“It’s getting worse: availability of ocean vessels and costs are increasing rapidly. FSC (fuel surcharge) on domestic freight is out of control.”

“Getting worse domestically as truckers get more selective and as fuel surcharges for rail and barge are way up. … Several of the ports are still a major mess, primarily Long Beach (Calif.) but some others too.”

“Trucking is miserable.”

“Trucking is a nightmare.”

“Supply issues are certainly more complicated. … Worse if you have demand you are not prepared to supply.”

By Michael Cowden, Michael@SteelMarketUpdate.com