US Midwest HRC index ticks up above $880 per ton
Published by:Melissa VanDervort<>
12 Jun 2025 @ 20:07 UTC

Hot-rolled coil prices in the US Midwest edged up on Thursday June 12, with sources reporting ongoing sluggish demand and limited spot buying interest as uncertainty continues to roil the hot band market. Fastmarkets’ daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US Midwest was calculated at $44.13 per hundredweight ($882.60 per short ton) on Thursday, up by 0.57% from $43.88 per cwt on Wednesday June 11 and by 2.32% from $43.13 per cwt a week earlier on June 5.
Inputs were collected in the buyer sub-index in the range of $42.75-44.00 per cwt, representing offers and general assessments of the spot market.
An input in the seller sub-index was rolled over due to a lack of liquidity.
Heard in the market Although mill offer levels have increased slightly since the June 4 implementation of 50% Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium, sources continue to report stagnant demand in the hot-rolled market.
Persistent uncertainty over changing trade and tariff policies is keeping buyers cautious and spot purchases at a minimum, sources said.
Market participants said tepid demand is projected to continue throughout the summer and early fall, with an uptick expected in the fourth quarter.
Lead times are at three to five weeks, according to sources.
Quote of the day Depending on how long the [50% Section 232] tariffs last and what countries [are willing to] negotiate, [there could be] a big impact on the [hot-rolled] market. The timing is what nobody knows, a Midwest distributor said.