Although inquiry activity within the US import rebar market is reportedly decent, sources say it’s mostly buyers feeling out the market before taking quotes to domestic mills. And while US rebar mills are not exactly price-matching import offers, the shorter lead times and wider applicable use for domestics (due to strict federal funding regulations) is keeping actual import bookings low.
As such, offer prices for US import rebar are relatively stable week-on-week, and while slight variations are possible, most sources say prices should continue trending sideways to slightly soft in the near-term. This week, US import rebar offers from Algeria are still in the range of $38.00-$39.00 cwt. ($838-$860/mt or $760-$780/nt) DDP loaded truck in US Gulf ports, while Mexican rebar offers are still at $41.50-$42.50 cwt. ($915-$937/mt or $830-$850/nt) DDP Houston.