Steel market chatter this week

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How do you expect prices to trend over the next three months?

“Pricing will move up due to market uncertainty and tariffs resulting in some panic buying, but pricing should start moving back in 3 months due to demand being slow.”

“Prices will keep increasing for the foreseeable future.  A lot depends on demand and other factors.  Might peak out in the summer as some are saying but might go longer.”

“Increasing – demand is improving.”

“Things are wild. Up, up, and aawwwaaayyyy! I think indices will climb to $1,000/ton.”

“There has been enough panic buying to push out backlogs, which will allow mills to continue to push prices up the next few months.”

“Plate prices will continue to head north for several reasons for the foreseeable future.”

“They will continue to go up. Opportunistic sources.”

“With [mills] implementing a ridiculous increase and holding customers captive, prices will increase but I’d say with much resistance.”

“Up, its a government protected oligopoly.”

“Seems like steel prices have jumped a bunch, mills may press for a bit more, but seems like at the current levels being asked for, imports would still make sense.”

“Up with tariffs & rush to buy tons.”

“Upward due to tariffs.”

Is demand improving, declining or stable?

“Demand is flat. More buying activity to beat price increases, but no more demand.”

“Demand is stable at best, which is a problem. I think there has been some ‘panic buying’ and POs being pulled forward for sure. I just don’t think real demand has improved.”

“Demand is stable, but we expect to get busy in the second quarter.”

“Demand for our products has been relatively flat.”

“Demand is stable, but with market pricing increasing, overall demand will slide. Construction and market confidence is slowing.”

“Pretty stable.”

‘Stable.”

“Demand has improved, but how much is being driven by panic and trying to beat the price run up.”

“Plate demand is stable to improving.”

“Improving now that folks are pulling demand forward to beat price increases.”

“Improving – energy, military, low inventories.”

“Slightly improving.”

Is inventory moving faster or slower than this time last year?

“Faster now versus last year, prices were unwinding in this period last year.”

“Faster now that folks are pulling demand forward.”

“Inventory is moving faster, but purely on the back of ‘panic buying.’”

“Faster currently due to tariff concerns.”

“Faster.”

“Starting to see more movements.”

“Normal rates of movement for first quarter.”

“Same.”

“About the same pace.”

“Slower.”

“Slower, orders down.”

“Slightly slower than last year.”

“Slower for us.”

Are imports more attractive than domestic material?

“Not yet, as most are just now understanding the situation, so imports with 25% tariffs are not viewed as competitive just yet.”

“Imports aren’t too pretty right now. But if the domestics keep climbing so rapidly, they’ll look good again (even with the 25% tariff).”

“Not now, but might be again soon – even with tariffs. ‘The enemy of high prices is, well, high prices.’”

“Imports are always more attractively priced. This remains to be seen with tariffs.”

“Imports are price attractive but hard forecast.”

“Imports much more attractive but waiting on final negotiations.”

“No, still too many unknowns.”

“No, due to impacts of tariffs being established.”

“Plate imports are currently not attractive because of price, lead-time, and suspect quality issues.”

“Not attractive – our customers require USA.”

“No, imports will suffer under tariffs.”

What’s something that’s going on in the market that nobody is talking about?

“Upcoming outages contributing to the strength of the market, also Nucor CSP is misleading when almost all Nucor mills are extended beyond 5 week lead time.”

“How the European Union steel pricing will be handled due to US tariffs.”

“What is the definition of steel derivatives? Will imported steel parts have a tariff?”

“Tariffs, rightfully so, are stealing all the headlines. But I think we’ll see some companies (small SSCs, OEMs, etc) really struggle this year in this pricing market. Maybe we see a run of M&A activity?”

“Will DOGE have an impact on federal funds being released for projects?”

“Increases should be introduced on a slow basis, month over month, instead of all at once in a one/two punch.”

“Evraz sale.”

“Demand is still flat.”