US domestic rebar prices increased while wire rod prices stayed flat in the first week of 2026, as scrap was steady to higher in December and described by an insider as having a “renewed upward momentum” for January. The upwards expectations coupled with demand were enough for rebar and scrap price increases, but not for wire rod pricing.
As of January 6, 2026, Nucor released a statement from its Nucor Bar Group announcing a price increase on most merchant and structural products by $2.50/cwt ($50/nt or $55/mt).
“Rebar pricing has moved quite quickly and has pretty much caught up with wire rod prices,” a long steel insider said.
In the weekly rebar spot markets, domestic supply on an FOB mill basis was assessed with most transactions noted at $46.50-47.50/cwt, ($930-950/nt or $1,025-1,047/mt), on average $47.00/cwt, ($940/nt or $1,036/mt), up $0.50/cwt ($10/nt or $11/mt) from two weeks ago.
On the domestic long steel demand side, weekly discussions with market insiders again focused on the US construction industry and its current demand driver in new data center construction projects, government and medical construction projects, and infrastructure projects, when compared with the slower residential and commercial construction activity.
In the domestic wire rod market, domestic supply on an FOB mill basis was assessed with most transactions reported this week at $48.00-49.00/cwt ($960-980/nt or $1,058-1,080/mt), or an average of $48.50/cwt ($970/nt or $1,069/mt), unchanged from two weeks ago.