Key Takeaways
Hot-rolled coil prices reached $1,045 per ton at Nucor's flat-rolled mills for the week of April 13, 2026, with mill-specific premiums extending as high as $1,095 per ton at CSI, reflecting regional supply-demand divergence and selective pricing discipline across domestic producers.
U.S. steel output hit its strongest weekly level since January 2022, with capacity utilization climbing to 79.1% - driven by robust Midwest and Southern mill performance tied to automotive, construction, and infrastructure demand.
A combination of energy-driven inflation, rising raw material input costs, and renewed policy discussion around Section 232 tariff adjustments creates a nuanced but broadly stable pricing environment for Q2, with effective transaction prices being lower for high-volume consistent buyers.
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