US flat steel prices continued to advance this week, rising another $10/nt ($11/mt) amid reports of steady domestic demand, ongoing spring mill maintenance operations, and amid continued elevated energy prices, market insiders told SteelOrbis this week.
Market insiders told SteelOrbis the month of April could see 14 mills shuttered for maintenance for a total of about 59 days of production. That compares with March’s 9 mills and 37 days of downtime, they said.
While a breakdown on mill type remained inconclusive at press time, last week, one insider told SteelOrbis about 750,000 tons of flat steel mill capacity could be offline over the next several months as a result of maintenance, adding that last week alone, there were about 150,000 tons of flat steel capacity offline.
“I think due to supply shortages, price increases for flat steel will continue,” said one US Midwest market insider to SteelOrbis on his current flat steel pricing outlook. “Domestic mills are at about 79.8 percent of productive capacity as of last week, and it’s just not enough to meet demand.”
In the hot-rolled coil markets, weekly SteelOrbis surveys show flat steel values rose another $10.00/nt to on average $1,050/nt ($1,207/mt), or $52.50/cwt., up from $1040/nt ($1,146/mt), or $52.00/cwt., one week prior. SteelOrbis data shows HRC pricing has increased 15.4 percent since the beginning of 2026.
As markets remain “tight” with the spring construction season already in progress and maintenance ongoing, insiders told SteelOrbis lead times for new HRC production were last discussed steady at 7-8 weeks, up from 3-5 weeks in earlier reports.
This week, Charlotte, North Carolina-based Nucor continued to increase its Consumer Spot Price (CSP) for flat-rolled coils for a thirteenth time in 16 weeks. The CSP rose another $5/nt on an FOB mill basis to $1,045/nt ($1,152/mt), or $52.25/cwt., up from $1,040/nt ($1,146/mt), or $52.00/cwt., one week prior. Since the end of October, when CSP prices started a steady weekly advance following an eight-week period of stability at $875/nt, the Nucor CSP has increased 19.4 percent. Nucor‘s California Steel Industries (CSI) price continued to advance, rising another $5/nt on an FOB basis this week to $1,095/nt ($1,207/mt), or $54.75/cwt., up from $1,090/nt ($1,202/mt), or $54.50/cwt., a week earlier.
In the cold rolled markets, the average price of CRC on an FOB basis was assessed in improved weekly trade at $1,185/nt ($1,306/mt), or $59.25/cwt., up from $1,165/nt ($1,284/mt), or $58.25/cwt., a week earlier. Based on a $10/nt increase in weekly HRC prices and a $20/nt rise in weekly CRC assessments, the current spread between the two key steel grades rose $10/nt to $135//nt, or $6.75/cwt., up from $125/nt, or $6.25/cwt., seven days ago.
In the hot-dipped galvenized market, traders told SteelOrbis spot HDG pricing continues to climb closer to CRC values, though late trade saw reports of limited mill discounting to $57.00/cwt ($1,140/nt or $1,256/mt). At week’s end, the SteelOrbis weekly HDG base price average climbed another $10/nt on an FOB basis to $1,170/nt ($1,290/nt), or $58.50/cwt.
In the US energy markets, West Texas Intermediate crude oil (WTI) sold at about $84.00 per barrel (/bbl) on March 17, off from about $99 /bbl a week earlier as a US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continued, and as US President Trump declared the Strait “fully open for business.” The 10-day ceasefire between the US and Iran was set to end on Tuesday, April 21, even as a later April 16, 10-day Israel-Lebanon ceasefire held through its first full day.
As a result of the new initiatives in the Middle East, US diesel fuel prices were reported at about $5.61 per gallon (/gal), off from $5.643/gal) on April 6. While down on the week, diesel fuel pricing remains up more than $2/gal from one year-ago levels, according to data from the Washington, DC-based Energy Information Administration
