Early summer brings domestic plate slowdown
May 11, 2012 | 04:09 PM
| Anne Riley
Tags
steel plate,
imports,
cut-to-length plate,
Korea,
plate prices,
Anne Riley
NEW YORK — Summer appears to have come early for the domestic steel plate market, with distributors reporting a slowdown in both activity and pricing that usually isn’t witnessed until the third quarter.
"We’re used to seeing maybe July, August slowing down and some retraction in pricing at the mill level during that slowdown, but we’ve definitely seen a slowdown early this year," one Midwest service center source said, noting that the pullback in activity for his business started about three weeks ago.
"Our bookings have been off; the number of inquires has been off," he said. "I’m not sure why—there’s been no change in our large OEM (original equipment manufacturer) customers’ forecasts and builds—but I’m hoping it’s fairly short-lived and doesn’t go all the way through summer."....
To access AMM's full content, please log in below. If you do not have an AMM account, we invite you to take a free trial or subscribe below.
Already a registered amm.com user?
Access to amm.com editorial content is granted only to paid subscribers and trialists. If you do not have an active account in your own name, please either subscribe or take a trial and you will have instant access to amm.com content. Sharing your login credentials with individuals who are not subscribers represents a violation of AMM copyright.
Every morning, every minute — no matter how often you follow the markets, there's an AMM subscription to fit your needs.
Subscribe Now
Click Here
Not sure if you are ready to invest in a subscription right now? Take a free, no-obligation trial. Start your free trial today.
Take a Free trial
Click Here