Prices for US import hot dipped galvanized (HDG) and Galvalume coil continue to be “as flexible as ever,” according to sources, who say offshore mills are in a “final scramble” to attract US offers amidst ever-loudening trade case rumors.
Trader sources say that while a few people seem to be hedge-buying based on price, others are being more cautious, pointing to full inventories and “stocked storage spaces” that are seen at US Gulf coast ports. High import tonnages have also been evidenced through the most recent data from the Steel Mill Import Administration (SIMA). As of April 28, global US import tonnages of HDG sheets & strip were 331,423 mt (preliminary census data), which denotes April 2015 as the highest import tonnage month since Feb. 2014.
| Import HDG offers to the US | Cwt. | Metric ton (mt) | Net ton (nt) | Change from last week |
| 0.012”x40.875” G30 | ||||
| China* | $34-$36 | $750-$793 | $680-$720 | neutral but flexible |
| India* | $35-$36 | $772-$793 | $700-$720 | neutral but flexible |
| 0.019”x48” G90 | ||||
| China* | $35-$37 | $772-$816 | $700-$740 | neutral but flexible |
| India* | $36-$37 | $793-$816 | $720-$740 | neutral but flexible |
| Import Galvalume offers to the US | ||||
| 0.019x41.5625 Gr80/AZ55 | ||||
| China* | $35-$37 | $772-$816 | $700-$740 | neutral but flexible |
| India* | $38-$39 | $838-$860 | $760-$780 | neutral but flexible |
| Brazil* | $37-$39 | $816-$838 | $740-$760 | neutral but flexible |
| Korea* | $38-$39 | $838-$860 | $760-$780 | neutral but flexible |
| Taiwan* | $38-$39 | $838-$860 | $760-$780 | neutral but flexible |
| Mexico | $37-$39 | $816-$838 | $740-$760 | neutral but flexible |
| *DDP loaded truck in US Gulf ports |