Plate demand ‘light,’ lead times shrink

Dec 14, 2012 | 01:14 PM | Chris Prentice

Tags  steel plate, carbon plate, discrete plate, cut-to-length plate, strip mill plate, quenched and tempered, alloy, steel prices Chris Prentice

NEW YORK — Minimal demand has been weighing on the steel plate market, with sources pointing to short lead times as an indicator of slow business conditions.

And while steel plate makers have managed to achieve some price increase following two rounds of price announcements, a fundamental lack of demand has market players uncertain on how high they will go, sources told AMM.
A sense that plate prices had reached a floor prompted large buys in early November as domestic mills announced plans to increase published prices, sources said. The bulk-buying has contributed to lower demand from service centers seeing little need to restock their shelves, sources said. ....