Plate prices in the United States were again unchanged during the week to Friday August 2, despite domestic plate mills' attempt to raise prices by $40 per short ton ($2 per hundredweight), which was announced a week before.
Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel cut-to-length plate carbon grade, fob mill US, held at $35.50 per wt ($710 per ton) on August 2, where it has remained since July 19.Sources across the supply chain largely agreed that the late-July price increase announcements have had little success, noting that there was no evidence of market fundamentals supporting any plate price strength.Lead times for plate averaged roughly four weeks, according to sources, an indication that plate mills have not been as busy as some of their flat-rolled counterparts.Hot-rolled...