Nucor reduces HRC prices for the fourth consecutive time – down to $870/t

Амеrican steelmaker Nucor announced another reduction in its weekly spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled coil (HRC). Offers for the week of May 26 – June 1, 2025, dropped by 1.1% or $10/t compared to the previous week, coming to $870 per short ton for all production facilities except California Steel Industries (CSI), where the price is $920/t (-2.1%).

This is already the fourth consecutive reduction in Nucor’s spot prices for HRC since early May, and the fifth since the start of the year. Over the month, the total decline in offers amounts to $60/t.

Thus, the highest price since the beginning of the year was recorded on March 24 – $935/t ($995/t for CSI) – and held until April 13. Despite stagnation in May, Nucor’s HRC offers remain $120/t above the prices at the beginning of January.

The lead time for orders is estimated at 3–5 weeks.

According to SMU, as of May 20, 2025, HRC prices in the US hovered at $845/t FOB, which matches the offers from the previous week. Average lead times in the general market are at 4.6 weeks.

American company Cleveland-Cliffs announced the opening of its June order book for HRC at a reduced price of $910/t. The new price represents a substantial decrease compared to the May offer of $975/t. Thus, HRC prices fell by $65/t, or nearly 7%, reflecting changes in market conditions.