US domestic HDG market "bracing itself" amidst falling raw materials costs

Although the most commonly reported spot price transaction range for US domestic hot dipped galvanized (HDG) coil has trended "mostly sideways" since our last report a week ago, buyers throughout the US report the pricing is "quite flexible", and it's all about the customer, their relationship with the mill and the size of the order they're willing to place.

"Sure there's the average range," according to one Midwest-based source, "but if someone goes knocking at a mill's door wanting to book a sizeable order and they want a concession, they'll sure as heck get one."  The HDG coil market still seems to be fairing much better than its other flats market counterparts, with market players reporting "steady and decent" activity throughout the segment.  And while it's strongly believed that prices could tick down several more notches in the upcoming weeks, that's less about activity and order inquiries than it is about cheap (and falling) raw materials costs.

For now, however, the most commonly reported spot market transaction range for base price HDG coil has held steady week-on-week, at $31.00-$33.00 cwt. ($683-$705/mt or $620-$640/nt) ex-Midwest mill; although that range remains "quite fluid" based on the tonnages a buyer is wanting to book.