Prices
March 7, 2023
Written by David Schollaert
Aggressive mill price increases are pushing flat-rolled tags up at a sharp clip, rivaling the spike seen in response to the war in Ukraine last March.
On Friday, Nucor came out with yet another notice – up an extra $150 per ton ($7.50 per cwt) and setting a new base price for hot band of $1,150 per ton. ArcelorMittal followed suit shortly afterward, targeting the same base price.
Nucor said on Monday, Sept. 21, that its consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled (HR) coil will be $1,210 per short ton (st) this week, a $10/st increase from a week earlier.
The domestic plate market is showing few signs of relief for steel buyers. Lead times are stretching well beyond seasonal norms, spot availability has all but evaporated, and mills are drawing hard lines on contract volumes heading into 2027 negotiations. And the supply squeeze will likely intensify in a market that some industry sources say is structurally undersupplied because of stringent US trade and tariff policies. Imports have been arriving in larger volumes, and the expectation is they will continue to tick higher into 2027. The big question is whether those foreign tons will arrive in volumes sufficient to provide the relief steel consumers want.
SSAB Americas announced immediate changes to pricing extras on select products, according to a letter sent to customers Friday morning.
Nucor Plate Group said it will be increasing its fuel surcharge to $20 per short ton for next month, effective on all shipments beginning Oct. 1.
Nucor said its consumer spot price for hot-rolled coil will be $1,200 per short ton (st) the week of Monday, Sept. 14. That's a $10/st increase from a week earlier.