US import long steel pricing was mostly stable to up slightly in slow pre-Thanksgiving holiday trade, following previous supply-related weekly gains across domestic long steel markets, market insiders told SteelOrbis. Reports of scant inventory, a continued lack of imports, and a growing outlook for steady to potentially higher December scrap pricing continues to be supportive for finished steel prices, they said.
“December scrap will mostly likely go up,” remarked one US East Coast rebar importer. “It always does so in the winter.” He added, “Right now, rebar supply remains tight and mills are requesting that orders get cut back or pushed back into future rollings.”
Recently, US domestic mills, facing low imports and steady long steel demand growth mostly from the data center build market segment, have begun to ration available material through a supply management process known as “allocation.” And, while most US mills are operating at around 78 percent of capacity, available supply in the form of imports remains sharply curtailed, insiders said, even as new domestic production in the US South and Southeast continues to slowly increase.
While domestic long steel pricing was reported flat this week, insiders said further price increases from domestic mills could make imports once again a viable supply option. Most mills are likely to remain fiercely competitive on price to maintain limited market share.
On the US Gulf Coast, import rebar pricing on a loaded truck basis was reported up slightly from earlier levels with weekly average prices seen in a wider $44.00-47.00/cwt., ($880-940/nt or $970-1,036/mt) range, or on average $45.50/cwt., up from $44.00-46.00/cwt., ($880-920/nt or $970-1,014/mt) one week earlier. Reports continue to circulate about shrinking supply availability at Gulf Coast supply warehouses forcing sellers to seek higher pricing for still available inventory.
On the US East Coast, import rebar on a loaded truck basis was steady versus week-ago levels at $44.00-46.00/cwt., ($880-920/nt or $970-1,014/mt). And, while reports of US East Coast import rebar sales remain heard near $47.00/cwt., the higher spot levels likely represent smaller than truckload sized offers.
Last week, a US Gulf Coast importer told SteelOrbis domestic rebar pricing in the $47-48/cwt., range ($940-960/nt or $1,036-1,058/mt), will encourage an influx of new import shipments extending into Q1, 2026. Current deliveries for Q4, he said, will likely amount to a mere 50 thousand tons.
This week, US domestic delivered rebar on an FOB Midwest mill basis traded flat at $46.00-47/cwt., just under the stated import insider price threshold. Some expect pricing to continue flat near term, pending movement in December ferrous scrap, following recent limited mill long and flat steel price increases.
On the import wire rod front, US Gulf Coast import pricing for wire rod mesh on a DDP loaded truck basis remains steady at $42.00-43.00/cwt., ($840-860/nt or $926-948/mt).
“I don’t think its going to be a very quiet December,” remarked one Midwest-based long steel insider. “Normally, the markets basically go to sleep around the holidays, but this year, we expect to see more buyers beating the bushes for supply, especially in the first quarter as more domestic supply begins to really dry up.”