Following AK Steel's $20/nt ($22/mt or $1.00 cwt.) July carbon flat rolled price increase and Nucor Sheet Mill's $30/nt ($33/mt or $1.50 cwt.) July sheet price increase, both announced earlier this week, a slew of US flats mills, including ArcelorMittal USA, California Steel Industries (CSI), Severstal North America (SNA), CSN LLC and others, have announced similar price hikes, most of which mimic Nucor's $30/nt increase.
Fontana, California-based flat rolled producer CSI has announced that effective with shipments as of June 28, the firm will raise prices for all flat rolled products by $30/nt.
As of July 1, CSN LLC (Companhia Siderurgica Nacional LLC's Terre Haute, Indiana flat rolled mill) will raise its spot prices by $30/nt as well, as will Pennsylvania-based flats producer Duferco Farrell/Sharon Coating.
ArcelorMittal NA will also raise its flat rolled prices will rise as of July 1. The company did not specify the exact amount of the increase but said that the following base prices would apply as of July 1, along with all applicable extras:
- Hot rolled bands: $410/nt ($452/mt or $20.50 cwt.)
- Cold rolled: $490/nt ($540/mt or $24.50 cwt.)
- Hot dip galvanized: $490/nt
SNA also announced a price increase for its flat rolled spot prices, informing customers that non-contract offers would rise by six percent (though it did not give a specific dollar amount) for orders scheduled for delivery as of July 1 or later.
All of the above companies cited the need to recover their increased raw material costs and/or unsustainably low flat rolled market prices as reasons for their respective price hikes.
Coated flats producer Wheeling-Nisshin has also indicated it will likely raise prices imminently. The company has not announced how much it will raise prices yet, but it informed customers this week that its booking for the first week of July is now closed, and that its booking and pricing plan for the month of July is “not firmly determined yet.” The company will continue to offer on a week to week basis through June 9, with offers made upon inquiry basis only.