WHAT IS IT?
Hot Rolled Coil (HRC) is a flat steel product made by rolling a steel slab through rollers at temperatures above 1,700°F (927°C). This is the most basic and widely produced flat steel product, serving as feedstock for further processing into cold rolled, galvanised, and other value-added steel products.
PRODUCTION PROCESS
Iron ore + coking coal → Blast Furnace → Pig iron → Basic Oxygen Furnace → Steel slab → Hot strip mill (1,100–1,300°C) → HRC
PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS
Surface has a characteristic blue-black oxide scale (mill scale)
Looser dimensional tolerances than cold rolled
Stronger than cold rolled (work hardening)
Less expensive than cold rolled
Available in thicknesses 1.2–25mm, widths 600–2,100mm
KEY USES
Construction: structural sections, plates, pipes
Automotive: chassis, body structural parts (where surface finish is less critical)
Shipbuilding: hull plates
Industrial equipment: machinery frames, agricultural equipment
Feedstock for: CRC (cold rolling), galvanised steel (PPGI/GI), pipes
TRADE CORRIDORS
Major exporters: China (world's largest steel exporter), South Korea, Japan, Russia, India
Major buyers: Southeast Asia, Middle East, Africa, South America
Tetra relevance: China and South Korea → SEA/East Africa. Infrastructure projects in East Africa drive HRC demand.
PRICING
CFR Southeast Asia benchmark. Also Platts HRC North Europe and US Midwest assessments.
Price tracks iron ore and coking coal costs. China export prices set global floor.
SPECIFICATIONS
Grade: SS400 (Japan), S235JR (Europe), Q235B (China) — structural grades
Yield strength: 235–355 MPa depending on grade
Tensile strength: 360–630 MPa
Thickness tolerance: ±0.15–0.30mm
Chemical: C max 0.20%, Mn, Si within spec