Decision to amend settlement date of US stainless scrap consumer assessments

The decision to amend the date of publication follows overwhelmingly positive feedback during the 30-day consultation period, which began on February 7 and ended on March 7, 2025.

Previously, the five stainless scrap price assessments were settled on the 10th of each calendar month in line with the publication deadline for the US ferrous scrap settlement, which is taking longer and longer to settle, thereby delaying the settlement of US consumer stainless scrap prices.

Market negotiations for ferritic stainless grades — namely 400-series prices — are particularly sensitive to the timeline of the monthly busheling settlement on which they are partly (80%) based. And by extending the publication of its monthly US stainless consumer assessments, Fastmarkets aims to give market participants more time to negotiate spot deals after the domestic ferrous scrap prices have been settled for the month.

The revised specifications are as follow (with changes in italics): 

MB-STS-0254 – Stainless steel scrap 316 solids, clips, consumer buying price, delivered mill Pittsburgh, US cents/lb
Quality: Nickel 10.00-14.00%, chromium 16.00-18.00%, molybdenum 2.00- 3.00%, manganese max. 2.00%, carbon max. 0.08%
Location: Delivered mill, Pittsburgh
Unit: US cents per pound/USD per gross ton
Publication: Monthly on the 12th of the month

MB-STS-0255 – Stainless steel scrap 304 solids, clips, consumer buying price, delivered mill Pittsburgh, US cents/lb
Quality: Nickel min. 7.00%, chromium min. 16.00%, molybdenum max. 0.50%, copper max. 0.50%, phosphorous max. 0.45%, sulfur max. 0.30%
Location: Delivered mill, Pittsburgh
Unit: US cents per pound/USD per gross ton
Publication: Monthly on the 12th of the month

MB-STS-0256 – Stainless steel scrap 304 turnings, consumer buying price, delivered mill Pittsburgh, US cents/lb
Quality: Nickel min. 7.00%, chromium min. 16.00%
Location: Delivered mill, Pittsburgh
Unit: US cents per pound/USD per gross ton
Publication: Monthly on the 12th of the month

MB-STS-0257 – Stainless steel scrap 430 bundles, solids, consumer buying price, delivered mill Pittsburgh, US cents/lb
Quality: Chromium 16.00-18.00%, manganese 1.00%, silicon 1.00%
Location: Delivered mill, Pittsburgh
Unit: US cents per pound/USD per gross ton
Publication: Monthly on the 12th of the month

MB-STS-0258 – Stainless steel scrap 409 bundles, solids, consumer buying price, delivered mill Pittsburgh, US cents/lb,
Quality: Chromium 11.00%
Location: Delivered mill, Pittsburgh
Unit: US cents per pound/USD per gross ton
Publication: Monthly on the 12th of the month

These prices form part of Fastmarkets’ scrap package.

To provide feedback on these prices or if you would like to provide price information by becoming a data submitter to these prices, please contact Amy Hinton by email at: pricing@fastmarkets.com. Please add the subject heading FAO: Amy Hinton, re: US stainless scrap consumer assessments.

Please indicate if comments are confidential. Fastmarkets will consider all comments received and will make comments not marked as confidential available upon request.

To see all Fastmarkets’ pricing methodology and specification documents, go to https://www.fastmarkets.com/methodology.