Several US steelmakers have raised rebar asking prices in the last few days, following a trend started in January supported by US protectionist trade policy.
Steelmakers Nucor, CMC, Steel Dynamics and Gerdau published $60/short ton (st) increases to their listed rebar pricing for most grades over the last three days.
Argus last assessed US rebar ex-works south at $830-840/st on 18 July, up by $730-740/st from the start of 2025.
The published increase is the fifth since November after prices slid steadily for the first 11 months of 2024. While the November increases were largely shrugged off by buyers, those in January and February came after an announcement by President Donald Trump removing exemptions and exclusions from the 25pc Section 232 import tariff from 12 March. Trump on 4 June doubled those tariffs to 50pc, making import offers even more unattractive, and almost immediately afterward rebar producers raised their prices.
Some buy-side sources expected another increase after June's, but ferrous scrap prices — which could justify price increases in buyers' eyes — have remained steady since the May settlement.
