US domestic rebar prices are opening 2025 unchanged, continuing a recent trend, with market participants looking for a bullish catalyst, Kallanish hears.

Pricing levels for US domestic #4 rebar in 20-foot sticks are stable week-on-week, still within a range of $710-720/short ton.

US scrap prices are expected to remain flat during January trade. Whilst there was initially positive sentiment regarding a price recovery, that seemed to disappear on prospects for lighter downstream demand. There is also market uncertainty surrounding five US states under a state of emergency declaration due to heavy snowstorms that are likely to impact scrap supply (see Kallanish 6 January).

A mid-Atlantic rebar distributor elaborates on the impact of current winter storms: "Snow has brought everything to a halt, so [it is] hard to be very optimistic today."

This source has heard of lower rebar prices.

"Distributors are offering very cheap prices," the distributor adds, then referencing the current price range in hundredweight. "They are mill buyers, so I would say the spread [for rebar FOB mill US domestic] is more like $33-35/cwt," i.e. $660-700/st.

Rebar market participants in the southeastern US do not see prices that low.

"We are hearing prices $35.50/cwt ($710/st) from the mill and $36.50/cwt ($730/st) on a loaded truck," reports a southeastern fabricator.

There is hope in the market that the return of President-elect Donald Trump to the White House will kick-start infrastructure business activity in the coming months. This tone was echoed by Commercial Metals Co (CMC) during its fiscal first-quarter earnings report (see Kallanish 6 January).

CMC chief executive Peter Matt indicates that he is encouraged by recent customer conversations and is optimistic that US government infrastructure spending is making its way through the pipeline.