For the past two weeks, SteelOrbis has reported that US HDG prices have been on an uptrend, due to US flats mills late-August price increase announcement. Lead times have extended notably, sources said, and are currently hovering between 9-12 weeks. This is a notable increase from August 17, when lead times were trending at 5-7 weeks.
Higher prices and lengthened lead times are due to service centers’ rush to place orders when it was believed that prices had bottomed. When the late-August mill price increase was announced, it “was enough to shake wary buyers off the sidelines. And, as expected, buyers rushed to stock up [when prices were] at the bottom.”
As such, some are skeptical that higher prices will sustain after customers start to receive their orders. Current prices are listed in the chart below.
| Product | Date | $/cwt | $/mt | $/nt | Delivery | Weekly change |
| US domestic HDG base | August 17 | $31-$33 | $683-$728 | $620-$660 | ex-mill | N/A |
| US domestic HDG base price | September 8 | $35-$36 | $772-$794 | $700-$720 | ex-mill | up $1.00 cwt. On the bottom end |
| US domestic Galvalume base price | August 17 |
$32-$34 | $705-$750 | $640-$680 | ex-mill | N/A |
| US domestic Galvalume base price | September 8 |
$35-$36 | $772-$794 | $700-$720 | ex-mill | up $1.00 cwt. On the bottom end |
| 0.019x41.5625 Gr80/AZ55 | August 17 |
$43-$45 | $948-$992 | $860-$900 | ex-mill | N/A |
| 0.019x41.5625 Gr80/AZ55 | September 8 |
$46-$48 | $1,014-$1,058 | $920-$960 | ex-mill | neutral |