Nucor Raises HRC CSP $15 to $1,295/Short Ton
Nucor raised its weekly Consumer Spot Price for hot-rolled coil by $15 per short ton to $1,295/st for the week of November 9, while California Steel Industries increased its HRC CSP by the same amount to $1,365/st.
- Nucor HRC CSP: $1,295/st, up $15/st week over week.
- CSI HRC CSP: $1,365/st, also up $15/st.
- Spot-order lead times remain at three to five weeks.
- Nucor's CSP has risen $105/st since September 8.
- GMK Center, citing Kallanish, reported U.S. HRC at $1,340–1,400/st as of November 6.
MONTREAL (SteelPrices): Nucor has raised its announced hot-rolled coil Consumer Spot Price again, increasing the weekly CSP by $15 per short ton to $1,295/st.
California Steel Industries, Nucor's West Coast joint venture, also increased its HRC CSP by $15/st to $1,365/st.
The new levels apply for the week of November 9, according to Nucor's customer communication reported by Steel Market Update.
Spot-order lead times remain unchanged at three to five weeks.
SteelPrices price-basis note: Nucor's $1,295/st and CSI's $1,365/st figures are producer-announced Consumer Spot Prices quoted per U.S. short ton. They are not independent market assessments or confirmation that all U.S. HRC transactions are occurring at those prices.
Nucor Extends Its Weekly HRC Pricing Push
The November 9 adjustment follows Nucor's $10/st increase the previous week, when the steelmaker raised its HRC CSP to $1,280/st.
Nucor's announced CSP stood at $1,190/st on September 8 and has since climbed to $1,295/st.
That represents a cumulative increase of $105/st, or approximately 8.8%, over the period.
CSI's CSP increased from $1,250/st on September 8 to $1,365/st on November 9, a cumulative increase of $115/st, or approximately 9.2%.
The latest increase appears to mark the sixteenth consecutive weekly rise in Nucor's HRC CSP. Earlier source reporting described the October 26 increase as the fourteenth consecutive move and the November 2 adjustment as the fifteenth.
Nucor HRC CSP Has Risen $105/Short Ton Since September 8
The latest $15 increase is more meaningful when viewed as part of the broader pricing sequence rather than as a one-week move.
- September 8: $1,190/st
- September 14: $1,200/st
- September 21: $1,210/st
- September 28: $1,220/st
- October 5: $1,230/st
- October 12: $1,240/st
- October 19: $1,255/st
- October 26: $1,270/st
- November 2: $1,280/st
- November 9: $1,295/st
SteelPrices calculation: From September 8 through November 9, Nucor's announced HRC CSP increased by $105/st, or approximately 8.8%.
Independent market assessments have also moved higher. Steel Market Update's November 3 assessment averaged $1,350/st, while GMK Center, citing Kallanish, reported a November 6 U.S. HRC range of $1,340–1,400/st.
That distinction matters: Nucor's CSP remains a mill-announced price, while the SMU and Kallanish figures are market assessments. The fact that assessments remain above Nucor's CSP provides broader evidence of a firm U.S. HRC market, but the figures should not be treated as interchangeable.
U.S. HRC Assessments Remain Above Nucor's CSP
Steel Market Update reported its U.S. HRC assessment at an average of $1,350/st on November 3, up $45/st from the previous week.
Separately, GMK Center, citing Kallanish, reported U.S. HRC at $1,340–1,400 per short ton as of November 6.
Both references sit above Nucor's newly announced $1,295/st CSP.
The comparison reinforces the importance of pricing basis. Nucor's CSP is a producer-announced level, while SMU and Kallanish publish broader market assessments based on their respective methodologies.
GMK Center reported that U.S. HRC spot prices were $825–865/st during the corresponding week of 2025.
Spot Availability Remains Tight
Recent market reporting provides additional evidence that availability remains constrained in the U.S. flat-rolled market.
Steel Market Update reported on November 6 that Nucor temporarily stopped awarding secondary and excess flat-rolled steel bids after opening its normal weekly bid process.
The move does not directly establish the availability of prime HRC, but it adds to evidence of tight conditions across portions of the domestic flat-rolled market.
Previous SteelPrices reporting has also highlighted reduced imports, low inventories and fourth-quarter mill maintenance as factors limiting near-term spot availability.
Also Read
- Nucor Raises HRC CSP $10 to $1,280/Short Ton
- Global HRC Prices Diverge as U.S. Tightens, China Slips
What the Latest Increase Does and Does Not Show
Nucor's continued weekly increases show that the producer is maintaining its effort to move announced HRC pricing higher.
The broader market data provide additional support for firm pricing because independent HRC assessments remain above Nucor's CSP and spot availability has been reported as constrained.
However, the latest announcement does not mean every U.S. HRC transaction has increased by $15/st or that all buyers are paying $1,295/st.
Lead times also remain at three to five weeks according to Nucor's customer letter, meaning the latest CSP increase has not been accompanied by a reported extension in the producer's quoted spot lead time.
The next important comparison will be whether independent market assessments continue rising alongside Nucor's weekly CSP, and whether the current tightness in spot availability persists as the U.S. market moves deeper into the fourth quarter.
Courtesy: GMK Center
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