MATERIAL PRICES
Sheet Metal Price Today: Price, Trends and Forecast 2026 | Tacto
11.05.2026
Current sheet metal price based on Fastmarkets CRC and HDG Northwest Europe (CRC around 775 EUR/t, HDG around 810 EUR/t, ArcelorMittal May offers 850 and 880 EUR/t). Trend analysis on the HRC upward convergence path, the new EU tariff-rate-quota regime from 1 July 2026 (47 percent quota cut), the melt-and-pour documentation requirement from 1 October, and the CBAM uplift on Turkish and Indian CRC imports. Scenarios and procurement recommendations for European industrial buyers.
METHODOLOGY
CRC and HDG ex-works Northern Europe (Fastmarkets) capture the factory-gate price for domestic flat steel after the cold-rolling step. CRC is the closer reference than HRC for industrial sheet parts. Real procurement costs additionally include alloy or coating logic, semi-finished product premiums, energy, logistics and currency.
AT A GLANCE
- CRC Northwest Europe around 775 EUR/t, HDG around 810 EUR/t in early May. Both follow HRC with a two- to three-week lag and higher absolute markups.
- The EU safeguard is replaced on 1 July by a tighter TRQ regime, quotas halve, out-of-quota duty doubles to 50 percent. CRC and HDG as finished flat steel are directly affected.
- ArcelorMittal May offers for CRC at 850 EUR/t, HDG at 880 EUR/t, service-centre quotes 50 to 80 EUR/t below.
- Melt-and-pour documentation requirement for importers from 1 October 2026 affects cold-mill finishing from third countries.
Contents
What is moving the price right now?
CRC Northwest Europe trades around 775 EUR/t as of 8 May, HDG (galvanised flat steel) around 810 EUR/t. Both follow the HRC base with a two- to three-week lag and higher absolute markups, because European cold-rolling and galvanising capacity is tighter than hot-strip capacity. ArcelorMittal raised May offers for CRC to 850 EUR/t and HDG to 880 EUR/t, service-centre quotes sit 50 to 80 EUR/t below.
The biggest driver for the next eight weeks is the replacement of the current EU safeguard on 1 July with the new tariff-rate-quota regime. CRC and HDG as finished flat steel are directly affected. Quota-free import volumes drop by around 47 percent to roughly 18.3 million tonnes per year, and the out-of-quota duty doubles from 25 to 50 percent. EUROFER described the package as a lifeline for the European steel industry. From 1 October 2026 the melt-and-pour documentation requirement adds compliance pressure, particularly on cold-mill finishing from third countries.
Importers from Türkiye, India and Vietnam, active in CRC and HDG, are positioning for the final weeks before the switch. Turkish CRC currently lands at 760 to 780 EUR/t DDP including CBAM, Indian CRC at 770 EUR/t DDP. The traditional import-domestic price gap has largely closed after the CBAM levy phase and Section 232 USA.
For H2 2026 we expect CRC in a 760 to 820 EUR/t band and HDG in 800 to 860 EUR/t, provided the TRQ regime takes effect on schedule and no additional anti-dumping action targets third-country suppliers.
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What does this mean for European procurement?
For 12-month anchors on CRC and HDG, close this week with an index clause on the Fastmarkets monthly average, with a cap-and-floor band of plus 10 to minus 12 percent and an explicit transition clause for 1 July. Mill list prices keep rising, the real market follows with a lag, and the convergence path turns up.
Separate the HRC component, the cut-to-length and processing surcharge and the CBAM share into three distinct line items. Flat pricing makes negotiation harder during an HRC base move. Service centres that do not offer this breakdown communicate less transparently than integrated mills.
Audit third-country imports against the 1 October melt-and-pour documentation requirement. CRC and HDG cold-rolled in Türkiye or India from Chinese or Indonesian HRC may fall out of the quota framework. Demand the melt-and-pour documentation as a contract annex, not a retroactive self-declaration.
For stamping, deep-drawing and body sheet, audit the specific CBAM treatment. High-strength sheets with DP or TRIP microstructures tend to have higher embedded CO2 per tonne, raising the CBAM share. The effect is smaller for standard construction grades.
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Sheet Metal Price Forecast: Our Procurement Intelligence Team's Assessment
Base Scenario
For H2 2026 we expect CRC in 760 to 820 EUR/t and HDG in 800 to 860 EUR/t. (1) HRC base converges upward. (2) TRQ regime from 1 July caps importer scope. (3) Mill list prices keep rising. (4) CBAM burden on third countries holds importers out.
Risk Scenario
In the risk scenario CRC and HDG run higher. (1) Anti-dumping action against third countries reduces import volumes. (2) Mills raise conversion surcharges. (3) ArcelorMittal uses the EAF pause as leverage for firmer mill lists. (4) Section 232 USA binds European capacity domestically. Probability over eight weeks: 25 to 30 percent.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Buy America Act (BABA) requirements on federal infrastructure projects require domestic-origin materials and add a structural cost premium because they limit supplier competition and require domestic mill sourcing. Clarify the definition of ‘domestic-origin’ with your customer (some interpret it as mill-produced and processed; others accept mill-converted material). Lock in domestic suppliers early on BABA projects, as availability can tighten on high-volume work.
Cold-rolled coil (CRC), galvanized, and painted finishes are showing the tightest supply and highest premiums. Specialty gauges (particularly thinner grades under 0.080"), HSLA (high-strength low-alloy), and weathering steels also have longer lead times. Standard hot-rolled commodity gauges have more flexibility.
Imported sheet metal carries a 25% Section 232 tariff, which typically makes it uncompetitive with domestic mills for commodity grades. Imported material is viable only in rare cases: specialized grades not readily available domestically, volume play at significant discount, or country exemptions. Any import sourcing decision must include the full tariff in the landed-cost calculation.
The CRU Midwest HRC price is a market anchor for domestic mill selling prices on hot-rolled flat steel. Your actual procurement cost depends on additional factors: gauges, grades, finish (cold-rolled, galvanized, painted), mill quantity minimums, lead time, service center margin, and logistics. CRC and coated finishes command premiums of $150–250/ST over HRC base pricing.
