Just about all the major US coated steel mills announced 30 dollars-40 dollars/ton (33 dollars-44 dollars/tonne) sheet price increases, including for HDG, Galvalume and electro-galvanised, early in August. Nevertheless, given that these price hikes were motivated more by the desire to bolster profit margins and establish a pricing floor than because of any appreciable pickup in end-use demand, it is not very likely that they will stick, at least not entirely. Also, unless the mills accompany this move with additional idling of production capacity, any price gains they do get from their still very cautious customers could be pushed back in the next few months. Demand, however, is expected to see at least modest improvement at the end of the third quarter and into the fourth.
展开▼
