Key Takeaways
Nucor has set its CSP hot rolled coil (HRC) base steel price for the week of March 2 at 1005 USD per short ton for most mills and 1055 USD per short ton at CSI. The $15/ton increase is the largest since August of 2024 and breaks the $1000/ton price level.
Stronger consumer confidence, sticky wholesale inflation, sharply higher energy prices, and Trump administration steel tariffs are all combining to keep steel prices elevated and volatile rather than easing meaningfully in early 2026.
For buyers, this Nucor steel price environment calls for short term closer tracking of energy and LNG markets that increasingly influence Nucor’s EAF based cost structure.
