Nucor Corporation, the largest steel producer in the US, decided to maintain its current hot-rolled coil (HRC) base prices for the final week of December, ending a sequence of nine straight weekly increases. The company set the standard rate at US$950/ton across most facilities, though its subsidiary California Steel Industries (CSI) carries a higher base of US$1,000/ton. This move provides a brief period of pricing stability for buyers as the industry enters the new year.

Despite the freeze in price adjustments, lead times for deliveries currently range between three and five weeks. This decision reflects a shift toward market consistency during the holiday break. Market participants view the pause as a reprieve after nearly ten weeks of consistent upward movement in the domestic steel market.