Anybody look to buy some aftermarket steel parts recently ? the prices have really jumped, I wondered if the popularity of the trog style rods was the blame... buddy tells me everything made of steel has gone up a chunk because of the tarrifs ? first I have felt it, $340 a pair roadster subrails are now $400 to $420 a pair... shopped for a few days and found a reasonable pair... if you need the stuff, don't put it off too long...
I'd guess the subrail price increase is not due too much to material as there's very little sheetmetal involved in a set of subrails. Maybe half a sheet? The increase is probably more toward labor and other costs. FWIW, I just bought a 4' x 10' sheet of AKDQ 18 gauge and it was only a few bucks more than the it was 6 months ago.
Went to buy some aluminum month or so ago, small piece, $6.00. Week later go their to buy another exact size piece, $12.00....steel shop says account tarrifs. He said their prices went up between 10% and 20%. When asked why their charging 100% more he just schrugged his shoulders. Go figure. We're at their mercy.
If you us US steel, the tariff shouldn't affect you. The tariff that was proposed was 25% and it seems to me that people are using the tariff excuse to raise prices a lot more than that. Kind of like a oil refinery goes down and the price of gas immediately goes up the next day even though the refinery is on the other coast.
At my shop, I get a visit every year from one of the sons of one of the largest steel dealers in our area. When he was herein Dec, he as pretty happy that they were able to be able to increase the price of their steel for the first time in 4 years because of the growing economy. That was before the tariff was going to go into effect. He didn't know how much the tariff would effect the pricing. Prices have made a pretty dramatic increase since that time. The process in which large dealers buy steel usually has a delayed effect on price increases (and price decreases). They buy large quantities of materials at a specific locked in price. They won't see any price changes until they buy the next big order. Then all the remaining existing inventory and all the material for the next contract reflects the new price. For an example: They contract to buy 1000 tons of square, rectangle, and round tubing at xxx price per pound. When the contract is signed, the price for the tubing in the contract is locked in until it has all been delivered. All the tubing they sell, from the contract date on, will be based on the cost of the current contract. So, you buy a couple sticks of tubing on Friday. On Monday, they make a contract to buy the next load of tubing. On that Wed, you but a couple more sticks of tubing, but now you buy them based on the new contract price, higher or lower then the tubing you bought the week before. The steel supply across town may still be selling tubing based on the old price, but at some point, his price will change as well. The last couple of years the price of steel has been a lot like the price of gas, it may be up, or it might be down, and it can change pretty quickly. A few years ago a steel price quote was good for 30 days.now its good for 24 hours. Since Dec, steel prices have been on an upswing, and those increases will be reflected in anything requiring steel or aluminum, at some point in time. Gene
You ever notice when the price of crude goes up, the price at the pump jumps immediately? But, when it drops they have to get all of the high priced gas out of the pipeline before they can lower the price at the pump.
Of course they do what else would you expect? You expect a company to leave 25% sitting on the table? Anyone who thinks that any company is not going to raise their prices up the same amount as the tariffs is kidding themselves.
I have found that prices on products that are produced in the U.S.A. with steel or aluminum made in the U.S.A. or have remained the same. It is only the of shore steel and aluminum that have jumped. Meaning these company were not using U.S. steel
Tell me, how can you tell where a chunk of steel is initially produced? I, for one, would like to know; it may effect my next purchase.
not going to complain too much, but... I usually tell the guy I need it ? long, always less than 48"... that gets me steel from the scrap rack... 48" plus means top dolla… they set my strips on the scale for my cost... took my coupe hood top over there, they bent a 90* on the inside edges... FOR FREE !
The company I work for purchases huge quantities of sheet steel and wire, almost exclusively from US sources. Costs are up significantly ($7 mil for one plant) as US manufacturers have raised prices to take advantage of higher cost foreign steel.
I do this too at a local steel supplier. Often he says to pick through the scrap behind the shear and charges me a ridiculously low fee.
It seems everything has gone up like crazy in the last year. I was just looking for a pair of shoes. It's hard to find a pair of leather shoes for less than $80. Evan a pair of loafers. All man made shoes are $50. I need a loan to get a good pair of boots!
A good deal of the rise in cost of steel is due to the cost of the materials added to the raw iron to make different types of steel. If we produced all the ingredients necessary for the process, our costs would be considerably lower than they are now. We are very far down the list for the production of vanadium with, in order, China being number one, followed by Russia, S. Africa and Brazil. We are third in the production of molybdenum behind China and Chile. We aren't even on the list for cobalt. That is primarily produced by the Congo, Russia, Australia, Canada, Cuba, the Philippines, and Madagascar. When I was Boilermaking, I was on a repair job at a U S Steel plant in Lorain, OH. It seemed strange to me at the time that all of the structural steel we used on the job was imprinted "Made in S. Africa". If our country's largest steel producer was using foreign made steel to make repairs, what the hell did we need U S Steel for? When I was building water towers, our fabrication shop was using German made sheet steel, 3/8 to 3/4", that was laminated. In the process of assembling the towers in the field, we had several occasions where the laminations separated and we had to re-fabricate and repair work we had just done. The Germans were selling their steel at prices that couldn't be matched by U. S. manufacturers.
Kind of off topic, but I got banned from going into any US Steel properties a few years ago because I had a dog with me in my truck. Really. That’s how big a bunch of pricks they are. I won’t buy or use anything labeled US Steel since. I will buy other brands made in the USA, but US Steel can kiss my ass. Now back to your regularly scheduled discussion....
Honestly, I don't miss the parade of beater trucks loaded with old dishwashers and shoe racks doing the slow roll stare past my house every trash day.
With the tariff causing an increase of foreign steel lead to more people buying good ol' American steel but the problem was that there are not that many around anymore creating a shortage of USA steel that they raised their prices too then. Supply and demand scenario in play here. Scrap prices are starting to go up again. Far cry from years ago but still double from last year prices. Doesn't bother me seeing I am sitting on close to 150 tons of scrap steel. My parents business used to be able to order 25-30 semis of steel pipe at the year beginning and they would deliver it to us when they had time throughout the year for a set price. No longer can do that with the steel going up so fast. when we get a steel quote it is good for 24-72 hours only depending on the company. Same thing with diesel, we buy it by the tanker load and our quotes to us are good for 24 hours only. They actually email us a new quote every morning. we only use USA steel anyways. We did a test/demonstration for the DNR many years ago when they insisted we use x amount of foreign steel. They couldn't believe the strength difference and now they have no regulation on us what we use but when we do a job for them they insist on no foreign steel and as I said above no problem for us we don't have it in stock. yes, foreign steel is cheaper but the problem is no regulation in foreign countries especially in china that they just stamp the steel to what you wanted it to be rated at. In the USA they are regulated and truly tested and rated x amount per pound. You can tell the difference when you are welding it too. A lot of things are going up even in the stores. I took a part time night job at Walmart a few years ago expecting to help out during the holiday season and ended up staying full time. things we put in overstock in the backroom bins just a few week ago and bring out to stock on the floor we are noticing the overstock tags are cheaper than the new floor prices. You used to be able to bring things out 3 months later and not have no price changes but it goes up on a regular basis now. Another thing that caused rise in prices is people/gov. pushing/ insisting on wage increases. Prices go up, quality goes down, people lose jobs and that leaves more work for whoever is left. end of April I lose my 3rd shift job stocking shelves at Walmart, we all are, no more 3rd shift employees. That is how Walmart gives other people raises. they don't take it out of their pockets. Next year raises they will be getting rid of cashiers and going to all self checkouts. Mandatory Minimum wage increase can cause reverse effects on people. they think they can live better but they end up in worse shape. Luckily I have my hands in a few other things and was going to leave anyways but a lot don't have nothing to fall back on. ok time for me to stop my rant seeing I am getting off subject anyways but yes steel prices are going up.
Whenever I needed a piece of steel for a project, I would go to the steel supply house and buy what they call drops. This what is left after someone else paid the full price for what they wanted , or needed. I could buy steel cheap this way.
when scrap is high $, the beater pick up scrappers will stop and offer to clean up my yard... I paid for and dragged home every piece... scared of them stealing when no one is home... they do steal !
The small amount of new steel I buy, I haven't even noticed the price increases. I also buy off the "drop" rack if possible, but sometimes I need a long stick of something. Sure it costs a lot, but I still get a lot of fun out of it. If you want to see high prices on steel, go to a swap meet and look at the rusty stuff!
I generate a bunch of scrap, about every 3 months is a good truck load of automobile wear items. It Doesn't even pay to load and haul it in any more. I was giving it to a guy just to get it out of my way but even he quit coming for it.
I thought steel prices were crazy last year when I built my Barracuda. Then, I had to buy some Argon....yikes!
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