The recent uptrend in US domestic hot dipped galvanized (HDG) and Galvalume coil spot prices continues to spark interest in the import market. Traders tell SteelOrbis that import bookings the last couple weeks have been rather robust, as Mexican offers of HDG 0.012"x40.875" G30 are gaining significant attention from buyers in the Gulf Coast, with prices in the range of $45.00-$47.00 cwt. ($992-$1,036/mt or $900-$940/nt) DDP loaded truck in US Gulf ports--$4.00 cwt. ($88/mt or $80/nt) below US domestic spot prices.
While Mexican mills are dominating import market share in the US Gulf Coast regions, softening prices from China are collecting interest from buyers located in the US Midwest and East Coast regions. Chinese mills were expected to follow the increasing US domestic HDG market prices with an increase in offer prices to the US, but an extremely weak domestic Chinese market has resulted in yet another decline in offer prices. Chinese mills dropped HDG and Galvalume base prices to the US by about $0.75 cwt. ($17/mt or $15/nt) for March deliveries, making the offers even more attractive.
| Import HDG offers to the US | Cwt. | Metric ton (mt) | Net ton (nt) | Change from last week |
| 0.012"x40.875" G30 | ||||
| India* | $47-$48 | $1,036-$1,058 | $940-$960 | neutral |
| China* | $46-$47 | $1,025-$1,047 | $930-$950 | ↓ $0.50 |
| Mexico** | $45-$47 | $992-$1,036 | $900-$940 | neutral |
| 0.019" x 48" G90 | ||||
| China* | $47-$48 | $1,036-$1,058 | $940-$960 | ↓ $0.50 |
| India* | $48-$49 | $1,058-$1,080 | $960-$980 | neutral |
| Taiwan* | $49-$50 | $1,080-$1,102 | $980-$1,000 | neutral |
| Import Galvalume offers to the US | ||||
| 0.019x41.5625 Gr80/AZ55 | ||||
| Taiwan* | $47.50-$48.50 | $1,047-$1,069 | $1,047-$1,069 | ↓ $1.00 cwt. |
| Mexico** | $47-$49 | $1,036-$1,080 | $940-$980 | neutral |
| China* | $47.50-$48.50 | $1,047-$1,069 | $1,047-$1,069 | ↓ $0.50 |
*DDP loaded truck delivered into Houston