<p class="">Here’s What It Means for Q4 Buying</p>

In a One-Two Punch, Domestic Mills Raise Prices for Wire Rods and Rebar as Raw Material Costs Surge

In a One-Two Punch, Domestic Mills Raise Prices for Wire Rods and Rebar as Raw Material Costs Surge — Heres What It Means for Q4 Buying

In a One-Two Punch, Domestic Mills Raise Prices for Wire Rods and Rebar as Raw Material Costs Surge | StaalX

&nbsp; Need Steel? We've Got It. StaalXneXt gives you exclusive access to available steel inventory, future production offers, and discounted surplus and secondary materials from trusted suppliers.&nbsp; Find the best pricing, negotiate directly, and uncover new buying and selling opportunities through a single marketplace built to help steel professionals source smarter, sell faster, and maximize value. View Available Offers &nbsp; Check it out at next.staalx.com or contact us at websupport@staalx.com for more information. Updates From This Week&nbsp; Here’s What It Means for Q4 Buying In our previous issue, we predicted that scrap prices would rise by $20–$30/ton in October and that domestic producers would have every reason to pass on those increases. Sure enough, the market followed suit. The long products sector remains robust. Mills are running busy, remaining generally satisfied with current price levels and margins. As long as backlogs stay manageable, producers appear content to hold base prices steady and adjust alongside monthly scrap fluctuations. On the flat-rolled side, the prolonged rally still has room to run. Hot-rolled coil (HRC) supply is notably tight, leaving buyers scrambling to secure allocation. With a raft of anti-dumping cases and Section 232 tariffs adding cost overhead, foreign supply remains restricted. Even with elevated U.S. prices, net realization for offshore mills stays low after tariff adjustments, leading many eligible foreign suppliers to focus on their home markets instead. By comparison, long products reflect a more mature upward trend with fewer erratic peaks and valleys. Within longs, structural shapes like beams show distinct strength, driven by heavy demand. The difference between base prices for beams and base prices for rebars, for example, hovers around a staggering $30/cwt. While domestic beam capacity is naturally limited, the primary demand driver continues to be data center construction, which is consuming a sizable share of available mill output. Although rebar prices have lagged somewhat behind other long products, actual demand remains firm. East of the Rockies, supply has loosened as two newer mills operate at full capacity, with CMC’s West Virginia micro-mill slated to begin operations in Q1 2027. Furthermore, while a surge of import volume arrived in the first half of the year, buyers have largely pulled back on offshore bookings over the past quarter. The diminishing rebar imports are keeping port and distributor inventories lean, particularly along the East Coast. Wire rod mills followed the $30/short ton scrap increase without missing a beat. Most end-users are managing delivery schedules adequately—assuming mill shipments encounter no significant delays or unplanned operational outages. Still, buyers remain uneasy about narrowing import alternatives, which have dwindled to just a handful of foreign suppliers still active in the U.S. market. No matter how full their order books are or how high prices climb, domestic mills continue to monitor import volumes closely and pursue trade actions, leaving buyers with limited backup options when domestic tons tighten. Weekly Poll With import options narrowing, how are you covering your rebar and wire rod needs? • Locking in domestic mill tons early • Keeping some import bookings in the mix • Buying spot as needed Last Week's Poll Result From our content partner, SteelOrbis US long steel prices steady to up amid mill price increases and rising October scrap Thursday, 15 October 2026 20:57:48 (GMT+3) San Diego US weekly long steel prices were steady to higher this week following additional mill price increase announcements late this past week, the result of steady long steel demand combined with rising monthly ferrous scrap values that had remained little changed since mid summer, market insiders told SteelOrbis. On Friday, Oct. 9, Charlotte, North Carolina-based Nucor announced rebar product pricing from its Bar Mill Group would increase by $30/ton ($1.50/cwt) effective for new orders received after the close of business that day. New orders would remain price protected if shipped by close of business Oct. 23, Nucor said. Market insiders told SteelOrbis they were expecting a mill price increase announcement, and that recent strength in flat steel markets was starting to “spill over” into other spot markets including long steel. “The Nucor rebar price increase already was expected by the marketplace,” said one US Midwest long steel insider. “These type of steel mill price increases, however, sometimes take a few weeks to be fully accepted by the market, so pricing doesn't just move higher following an announcement.” He continued. “It often takes some time for the markets to digest the information. On the other hand, on the wire rod side, wire rod mills already are quoting and getting higher prices.” Following $0.50/cwt., gains seen one month ago, the SteelOrbis US domestic rebar average price on an FOB mill basis remains steady for now at $46.50-47.50/cwt., ($930-950/nt or $1,025-1,047/mt, though “actual price increases are right around the corner”. SteelOrbis historical data reveals that if recent Nucor price increases are fully implemented, a $1.50/cwt., price rise from current spot trading levels would represent the highest weekly rebar price average on record since September 2022. The most recent Nucor rebar price increase announcement follows earlier US West Coast rebar price increases of $40/nt ($2.00/cwt.) for markets west of the Mississippi River, from Commercial Metals Corporation (CMC). Other regional mills were said to have followed CMC's lead, quoting “tight US West Coast long steel inventory levels and steady demand from infrastructure and data center builds.” During recent October scrap negotiations, scrap market insiders told SteelOrbis HMS I/II and shredded material for use in rebar production sold to Chicago and Detroit-based mills $20-30/gt higher. In the Ohio Valley, mainly near Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Cleveland, secondary grades used in rebar production rose $20/gt. “In the South and Southeast, it looks like everything is up $20/gt except shred, which was up $30/gt”, one scrap insider said. In the local wire rod and wire mesh markets, prices for ex-mill US supply rose $0.50/cwt. ($10/nt) to $50.50-51/cwt., ($1,010-1,030/nt or $1,113-1,136/mt), up from $50.00-51.50/cwt., ($1,000-1,020/nt or $1,102-1,124/mt), a level where prices had remained steady since rising $0.50/cwt., in late August. Traders continue to report to SteelOrbis that wire rod and mesh markets as “reasonably balanced” even though no update remains forthcoming from Peoria, Illinois-based Liberty Steel. Insiders said the mill likely continues to operate, following recent repairs to cranes, though likely at a reduced portion of its 700,000-ton per year capacity, due to ongoing concerns over dated mill equipment and ongoing staff reductions due to recent employee furloughs. Insiders told SteelOrbis continued strength in domestic and global oil pricing could further support the cost of delivered steel for Q4 in the US and abroad. Insiders said markets remain supported by ongoing supply concerns including shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and amid increased regional conflict elsewhere in the Middle East. On Oct. 15, West Texas Intermediate crude oil traded at $97.90 per barrel (/bbl), up marginally on the week, though global Brent crude saw prices sharply down at about $106/bbl, following a recent weekly peak over $125/bbl inspired by renewed hostility in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea, multiplying the cost of transport and tanker prices, further driving up the cost of physical barrels. US import long steel prices pressured up on shrinking supply, high freight rates, energy costs Friday, 16 October 2026 19:39:09 (GMT+3) San Diego US import long steel prices continued a marginally higher trend seen this past week amid continued reports of reduced supply availability, high global energy prices and continued high freight rates that are shrinking supplier margins and reducing the profitability of imported material, market insiders told SteelOrbis. Insiders said the reduction in supply from low-cost providers in Asia -mostly South Korea- is starting to have an effect on levels of import material being made available to spot and contract buyers. High shipper fixed costs for freight, insurance and ships' bunker fuel as a result of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East are making many previously utilized import supply options unworkable, they said. “Freight rates are up, and the Koreans aren't offering for fear of being hit with new anti-dumping cases from US regulators,” said one US Midwest import long steel insider to SteelOrbis. “We're also hearing non-stop chatter in the import markets about the US president potentially raising import tariffs on Korea.” With the exception of the UK at 25 percent, steel imports into the US currently are subject to minimum 50 percent Section 232 import tariffs. And, despite the high tariffs, suppliers continued to export supply to the US owing to low-cost steel suppliers. “In reaction to rising fixed costs, some overseas mills also have begun to raise their prices to cover costs,” the Midwest insider added. “However, right now, it's difficult for importers to pay higher prices for supply, since every $1.00 increase in US steel prices, requires that import prices rise $1.50 just to be competitive at all.” On the US Gulf Coast, import rebar on a loaded truck basis is now priced at $46.00-47/cwt., ($920-940/nt or $1,014-1,036/mt), up $0.50/cwt., from one week before when similar gains were noted. US East Coast rebar was noted at $47.00-48/cwt., ($940-960/nt or $1,036-1,058/mt), also up $0.50/cwt. “In the US, while overall construction demand (for long steel) remains uneven, domestic mills are maintaining a favorable pricing position,” said another US Gulf Coast-based long steel insider to SteelOrbis. “Import competition continues, but high ocean freight rates, and tighter availability are reducing the traditional price advantage of offshore material.” In previous SteelOrbis reports, market insiders predicted global long steel supplies would be trimmed as a result of reduced supply availability from South Korea, whose exports to the US have spiked over the past two years, heightening competitive concerns from US steel suppliers. According to a recent letter sent to US regulators, imports of long products, including rebar and wire rod used in US construction-related activities, reached a record of 145,300 short tons (st) during July 2026, a six-fold increase from two years earlier when 22,100 st was shipped to the US. Many US steel suppliers, fabricators and service centers continue to pressure the Trump administration to take quick action against nations like Korea that continue to sell steel at what many consider “below market value.” “Import rebar remains competitive in selected markets, particularly Houston, but new Asian offers are moving closer to domestic replacement costs,” the Gulf Coast insider added. At the US Gulf Coast, wire rod mesh import material on a DDP loaded truck basis is thinly traded and stable at $46.50-47.50/cwt., ($930-950/nt or $1,025-1,047/mt). In the US long steel markets on a comparative basis, spot pricing for rebar remained flat for a fourth week following earlier demand-inspired gains ahead of the start of the higher-anticipated Q4 demand period, market insiders said. US Midwest rebar on an FOB mill basis remained steady at $46.50-47.50/cwt.,($930-950/nt or $1,025-1,047/mt), while spot wire rod mesh on an ex-mill basis rose $0.50/cwt., to finish the week at $50.50-51.50/cwt., ($1,010-1,030/nt or $1,113-1,136/mt), up from $50.00-51/cwt ($1,000-1,020/nt or $1,102-1,124/mt), one week prior. US domestic finished steel markets were said to be on the rise this week as a result of steady demand, scant spot supply, recent mill price increases and increased local scrap prices, which had remained at mostly stable levels since mid summer. During recent October scrap negotiations, scrap market insiders told SteelOrbis HMS I/II and shredded material for use in rebar production sold to Chicago and Detroit-based mills $20-30/gt higher. In the Ohio Valley, mainly near Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Cleveland, secondary grades used in rebar production rose $20/gt. “In the South and Southeast, it looks like everything is up $20/gt except shred, which was up $30/gt”, one scrap insider told SteelOrbis. USEC dock prices drop in NY, are sideways in Philadelphia and Boston Tuesday, 20 October 2026 21:39:36 (GMT+3) San Diego Scrap for the New York docks dropped by $10/gt for cut grades last week, while it remained unchanged at the Philadelphia and Boston docks. Exporters in the New York market lowered some prices because export prices to Turkey fell. Contacts in Philadelphia and Boston said the same trend could appear in their markets by next week if export prices drop again. The increases seen last week for USEC domestic scrap prices as part of the October trading cycle have helped maintain some stability in the docks' prices. For the domestic market, prime grades in Philadelphia increased by $10/gt in October, while they rose by $20/gt from September settled prices for everything else, including cut grades. It should be noted that this distances domestic prices from those for the export market some more, a difference that was also notable in recent months and kept some scrap processors and traders away from the export market. As an example, HMS I for the Philadelphia domestic market sits at $350-360/gt delivered consumer, some $70/gt above the $280-290/gt delivered export yard price. Some scrap sellers were hesitant to return to selling to the export market even when domestic prices were only $40/gt above dock prices. This could limit the amount that USEC exporters are willing to drop if they wish to secure material. Additionally, global freight rates have been receding in the past ten days, alleviating some pressure on exporters' margins. In the meantime, at the New York docks, the price of HMS I decreased by $10/gt to $270/gt delivered export yard, while the price of P&amp;S 5ft fell by the same amount to $290/gt delivered. The price of shredder feed remained unchanged at $230/gt delivered. In Philadelphia, prices were unchanged, with HMS I trending sideways at $280-290/gt delivered export yard, P&amp;S 5ft at $310-320/gt delivered, and shredder feed at $240/gt delivered. The price of US-origin HMS I/II 80:20 remains at $395-397/mt CFR Turkey. There were rumors regarding a sale from Scandinavia in the past few days that could have brought the US price down by a dollar, yet SteelOrbis did not receive confirmation of this transaction. Export prices have been softening but not dropping sharply. The price for the aforementioned grade has dropped by $8/mt since Oct 7. The outlook for Turkish rebar is not positive. As SteelOrbis reported, Turkish rebar buyers are not actively buying, and it is expected that rebar prices could drop further. USEC contacts mention there does not appear to be significant scrap volumes sitting at the docks. Yet this lack of available material is not expected to prevent price drops. These contacts report that export prices, and prices to docks as a consequence, are first and foremost beholden to the Turkish mills' influence. These contacts report that Turkish mills aim to lower the price of US-origin HMS I/II 80:20 to $380/mt CFR Turkey, and while the entire drop may not be accomplished, they believe the grade could depreciate to $390/mt CFR in the coming days. Do you have any questions? Check out our FAQ! Check out the most frequently asked questions about the service and products of StaalX. We are always here to chat with you in the chat boxes from the site or on the support telephone number below. 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