Prices for carbon steel plate in the United States held steady while spot trading was virtually suspended because US mills have not yet opened order books for May.
Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel cut-to-length plate carbon grade, fob mill US held at $54.50 per hundredweight ($1,090 per short ton) on Friday March 12. The assessment has gained 118% since descending to its 2020 low of $25 per cwt last August.Plate producers are sitting on a pile of unconfirmed purchase orders from customers who are requesting tons but have not yet been promised a price. The mills in late February and early March announced a round of price increases of $70-80 per ton, presumably for May...