US domestic flat rolled mills have announced a second price increase in less than a month, and market players throughout the US believe the increase announcements will keep coming.
Decreased import arrivals, due depressed offshore order activity in the latter months of 2017, means US flats mills have the upper hand when it comes to supply and demand dynamics. As such, trader sources have said the second price increase has led to a flurry of interest when it comes to booking offshore. That interest, sources note, is expected to remain strong when and if US market prices begin to temper.
The most recently heard pricing for US import HDG is listed in the chart below.
| 0.012”x40.875” G30 HDG coil | cwt. | metric ton | net ton | change since last week | |
| UAE / Turkey / Vietnam | $45-$47 | $992-$1036 | $900-$940 | DDP loaded truck in US Gulf coast ports | neutral |
| South Africa | $47-$48 | $1036-$1058 | $940-$960 | DDP loaded truck in US Gulf coast ports | neutral |
| 0.019x41.5625 Gr80/AZ55 Galvalume | |||||
| Brazil / Vietnam | $46-$48 | $1014-$1058 | $920-$960 | DDP loaded truck in US Gulf coast ports | neutral |
| Taiwan | $50-$51 | $1102-$1124 | $1000-$1020 | DDP loaded truck in US Gulf coast ports | neutral |