Steel Market Update

Steel Market Update stands out as a top source for independent and up-to-date information on steel pricing, market trends, and industry news. Our team of experienced writers and analysts closely examines and reports on important market signals that influence both buyers and sellers of steel in North America. We are committed to delivering reliable news, in-depth analysis, and valuable insights regarding the North American steel market to our clients.

National, Trade/B2B

English

Online/Digital

Outlet metrics

Domain Authority

Ranking

Global

#1534081

United States

#408920

Heavy Industry and Engineering/Metals and Mining

#305

Traffic sources

Monthly visitors

Articles

North American auto assemblies up again in March

1 day ago | steelmarketupdate.com | David Schollaert

The USMCA deal (once NAFTA) has held up the North American auto industry for nearly 30 years. But new tariff threats have brought more uncertainty. The Trump administration hit imported cars with a 25% tariff. Auto parts will follow in the months ahead. And with impending reciprocal tariffs, the road ahead for the auto industry looks rough.
SMU Steel Demand Index dips into contraction

2 days ago | steelmarketupdate.com | David Schollaert

The Steel Demand Index, compiled from our twice-monthly survey data, now stands at 46.5, down from 54.5 in early April and off from a four-year high of 65.0 in late February. Momentum accelerated at the start of the year, driving growth. In February, mills began pushing higher prices, supported by tariffs. Once buyers covered near-term needs, concerns shifted to uncertainty around some of those same tariffs. Buying tailed off, and demand pulled back.
Nucor selects Fives Group for new galv line at CSI

3 days ago | steelmarketupdate.com | David Schollaert

The $370-million project is part of Nucor’s larger expansion of its galvanizing capabilities, with plans to bring ~1.3 million st of annual capacity online by the end of 2027 across four mills.
Nucor keeps HRC price unchanged

4 days ago | steelmarketupdate.com | David Schollaert

Nucor has kept its weekly hot-rolled (HR) coil price flat this week after a marginal cut the previous week. As of Monday, April 21, the CSP is $930 per short ton (st), unchanged week over week (w/w) and down just $5/st over the past month. That price is good across Nucor mills, except for its joint-venture subsidiary California Steel Industries (CSI), whose HR price also remained flat w/w at $990/st.
April energy market update

1 week ago | steelmarketupdate.com | Brett Linton

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently released its April Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO). The latest report projects declining crude oil prices, with a downwardly revised forecast due to rising inventories and slower demand growth. Natural gas prices are expected to rise through 2026, driven by increased heating demand and growing exports.
SMU survey finds less support for tariff policies

1 week ago | steelmarketupdate.com | Stephanie Ritenbaugh

Still, some folks – about 13% – believe that trade will work out better in the future once the dust settles. But that’s down from 19% in our last survey. Here are responses to the question: Are President Trump’s tariff policies helping your business? Why or why not?
Join SMU on April 30 for a Community Chat with Bilstein Cold Rolled Steel CEO Brent Wilson

1 week ago | steelmarketupdate.com | Michael Cowden

Bilstein Cold Rolled Steel makes cold-rolled steel strip for a range of applications – everything from automotive and construction products to tools. It’s a subsidiary of Hagen, Germany-based Bilstein Group, a family company established in 1911. Bilstein Cold Rolled began production from a new plant Bowling Green, Ky., in 2017. Wilson joined the company in 2019 and advanced to COO before becoming CEO.
SMU Survey: Sheet lead times ease further, plate hits one-year high

1 week ago | steelmarketupdate.com | Brett Linton

The average lead time for hot-rolled steel has fallen to five weeks. Tandem products range from six-and-a-half to seven-and-a-half weeks, while plate remains just under six weeks. Table 1 summarizes current lead times and recent changes by product (click to expand). Compared to our April 2 market check, all five of our lead time ranges shifted this week:Hot rolled: The longest lead time in our range declined from seven weeks to six.
SMU Survey: Buyers report more price flexibility from mills

1 week ago | steelmarketupdate.com | Brett Linton

The percentage of buyers reporting room for negotiation dropped to a near two-year low by early March. Negotiation activity appears to have now reached a turning point, with this week marking the highest rate seen since early February. Every two weeks, SMU polls thousands of steel buyers asking if domestic mills are negotiable on new order pricing. In our latest survey, 43% of respondents said mills were willing to talk price (Figure 1).
SMU Survey: Buyers' Sentiment Indices fall

1 week ago | steelmarketupdate.com | Ethan Bernard

Our Current Sentiment Index dropped six points to +42 this week compared to two weeks earlier. It has fallen in every successive survey since reaching a 2025 high of +66 on Feb. 19. Though still optimistic, it appears tariff uncertainty shows buyers are less confident about current business conditions (Figure 1) than they had been at the beginning of this presidential administration. Our Future Buyers’ Sentiment Index also ticked lower, albeit slightly (Figure 2).