As patches of pricing softness are beginning to emerge, US domestic plate mills are finding little incentive to cut prices with lead times out to late April/May on commodity grade products and are already into June/July on heavier grade and heat-treated material. Plate spot prices are still between $46.50-$48.50 cwt. ($1,025-$1,069/mt or $930-$970/nt) ex-Midwest mill, reflecting no change from late February. However, arriving imports are flowing into US ports in high volumes--a trend that is expected to continue into April--and with much of it unsold, sources tell SteelOrbis that distributors are facing increasing downward pressure on resale prices, but any price cuts have not yet become widespread.
As for current import activity, many US buyers are already holding high plate inventories (either US domestic or foreign) and aren't rushing to place any offshore orders. However, some offers are too attractive to pass up, according to one trader in the South, and there is still a "steady trickle" of inquiries. Most attractive to US buyers at the moment are Korean offers in the range of $40.00-$41.00 cwt. ($882-$904/mt or $800-$820/nt) DDP loaded truck in US Gulf ports, but Turkey isn't far behind, currently offering plate to the US in the range of $41.00-$42.00 cwt. ($904-$926/mt or $820-$849/nt) DDP loaded truck in US Gulf ports.