Prices for most imported flat steel products in the United States have moved lower in line with their domestic counterparts, while sources expressed bearish outlooks for the US market at year-end.
Import market participants had hoped previously that, with flat-rolled price increases announced by domestic mills gaining traction, imported products could potentially become attractive again. But for products with a delivery time of at least three months and uncertainties over trade policies, domestic buyers remained mostly in wait-and-see mode for imports - unless the offers were too low to refuse, sources said.And importers might find it even harder to sell material this week. After a period in which market participants voiced widespread skepticism about the mill increases' sustainability, prices for domestic flat-rolled products including hot-rolled coil and plate have started to soften.The bearish market trend was partly due to a typical summer slowdown, with many market participants out for vacations, and partly due to murky outlooks on the year-end market.On HRC for example, oversupply continues to be a concern, and critical downstream industries - such as the automotive, housing, appliance and energy sectors -...