Surcharges for carbon steels have edged up for January 2019, as demand for engineering bar continues to remain high.

The Scrap surcharge has climbed by £8 from December’s level to £266 per tonne, meaning it is now 27% higher than it was 12 months ago.

Alloys are largely unchanged from the end of 2018, so surcharges for alloy steels remain relatively stable. However, for many grades the surcharges are still at or close to their 12-month highs.

Simon Taylor, Hillfoot’s Executive Director, explains: “Production remains strong at mills as they continue to produce material to satisfy their high order intake of 2018.

“This is driving demand for raw materials, which is supporting the currently relatively high commodity prices.”

Click here to find out how the changes have affected the surcharge for specific steel grades, or contact the Hillfoot team for advice on your material requirements, and price and availability information.