Final Thoughts
Cliffs Raises Sheet Prices Another $50/ton, Targets $850/ton HRC
Written by Michael Cowden
February 2, 2023
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. aims to increase spot prices for steel sheet by at least another $50 per ton ($2.50 per cwt).
The Cleveland-based steelmaker said the move was effective immediately and applied equally to hot-rolled, cold-rolled, and coated products.
The company said it also set a minimum base price of $850 per ton for hot-rolled coil, according to a press release dated Thursday, Feb. 2.
The move comes little more than two weeks after Cliffs announced a prior round of $50/ton sheet price hikes and a target base of $800 per ton for HRC.
Cliffs has now announced four price increases totaling $210 per ton since late November.
SMU’s hot-rolled coil price stands at $780 per ton, up about 12% ($85 per ton) from early January, and up nearly 27% ($165) per ton before Thanksgiving, according to our interactive pricing tool.
Recall that hot-rolled coil prices hit a 2022 low of $615 per ton shortly before the holiday. They have been rising steadily since Cliffs announced an initial round of price hikes the week after Thanksgiving.
By Michael Cowden, michael@steelmarketupdate.com
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