Retrieve US Midwest Domestic Hot-Rolled Coil Steel (US-HRC) Historical Prices with this API

In the ever-evolving landscape of metal markets, the ability to access and analyze historical prices is crucial for developers, traders, and analysts alike. One of the most significant commodities in this sector is the US Midwest Domestic Hot-Rolled Coil Steel, commonly referred to as US-HRC. With the advent of APIs like Metals-API, retrieving historical prices and real-time data has never been easier. This blog post will delve into the capabilities of Metals-API, focusing on how to effectively retrieve historical prices for US-HRC and other metals, while exploring the broader implications of digital transformation in the metal markets.

Understanding Metals-API

Metals-API is a powerful tool designed for developers looking to integrate real-time and historical metal prices into their applications. This API provides comprehensive access to a wide range of metal data, including but not limited to gold (XAU), silver (XAG), platinum (XPT), and palladium (XPD). The API's capabilities extend beyond simple price retrieval; it empowers users to harness data analytics, enabling smarter decision-making in trading and investment strategies.

Digital Transformation in Metal Markets

The metal markets are undergoing a significant digital transformation, driven by technological innovation and advancements in data analytics. With the rise of APIs like Metals-API, developers can create applications that provide real-time insights into market trends, price fluctuations, and historical data analysis. This transformation is not just about accessing data; it's about integrating smart technology that enhances decision-making processes and optimizes trading strategies.

Technological Innovation and Advancement

Metals-API exemplifies technological innovation in the financial sector. By offering a robust set of endpoints, developers can retrieve data on the latest rates, historical prices, and even fluctuations over time. This level of access allows for the creation of sophisticated applications that can analyze market conditions, forecast trends, and provide users with actionable insights. The API's design reflects a commitment to providing high-quality, real-time data that meets the needs of modern developers.

Data Analytics and Insights

Data analytics plays a pivotal role in the functionality of Metals-API. By leveraging historical data, developers can build applications that analyze price trends over time, identify patterns, and make informed predictions about future market behavior. The API's historical rates endpoint allows users to query data dating back to 2019, providing a rich dataset for analysis. This capability is essential for traders who rely on historical performance to guide their investment decisions.

Smart Technology Integration

Integrating smart technology into metal trading applications is made seamless with Metals-API. The API's various endpoints, such as the Convert Endpoint and the Time-Series Endpoint, allow developers to create dynamic applications that can respond to user inputs in real-time. For instance, the Convert Endpoint enables users to convert amounts between different metals or currencies, enhancing the user experience and providing immediate value.

Future Trends and Possibilities

As the metal markets continue to evolve, the potential for future innovations is vast. The integration of AI and machine learning with APIs like Metals-API could lead to even more advanced analytics and predictive modeling capabilities. Developers will be able to create applications that not only retrieve data but also analyze it in real-time, providing users with insights that were previously unattainable.

API Description

The Metals-API is designed to be user-friendly while offering extensive functionality. It provides a variety of endpoints that cater to different needs, from retrieving the latest rates to accessing historical data. Each endpoint is equipped with specific features that allow developers to tailor their applications to meet user demands.

Key Features and Endpoints

One of the standout features of Metals-API is its Latest Rates Endpoint. Depending on your subscription plan, this endpoint returns real-time exchange rate data updated every 60 minutes, every 10 minutes, or even more frequently. This ensures that users have access to the most current market information, which is critical for making timely trading decisions.

The Historical Rates Endpoint is another essential feature, allowing users to access historical rates for most metals dating back to 2019. By appending a specific date to the API request, developers can retrieve historical price data, which is invaluable for trend analysis and forecasting.

For those interested in understanding market dynamics, the Bid and Ask Endpoint provides real-time bid and ask prices, giving users insight into the current market spread. This information is crucial for traders looking to execute orders at optimal prices.

The Convert Endpoint allows users to convert amounts from one metal to another or to/from USD. This feature is particularly useful for applications that require currency conversion for trading or reporting purposes.

Additionally, the Time-Series Endpoint enables users to query the API for daily historical rates between two dates of their choice. This functionality is ideal for developers looking to analyze price movements over specific periods.

The Fluctuation Endpoint provides insights into how prices fluctuate on a day-to-day basis, allowing users to track market volatility. This feature is essential for risk management and strategic planning.

For those interested in gold, the Carat Endpoint allows users to retrieve information about gold rates by carat, providing a more granular view of gold pricing.

The Lowest/Highest Price Endpoint allows users to query the API for the lowest and highest prices over a specified period, which is useful for identifying market extremes.

Furthermore, the Open/High/Low/Close (OHLC) Price Endpoint provides detailed price information, including the opening, high, low, and closing prices for a specific date. This data is critical for technical analysis and trading strategies.

The Historical LME Endpoint offers access to historical rates for LME symbols dating back to 2008, making it a valuable resource for those interested in long-term market trends.

To access the API, users must utilize their unique API Key, which is passed into the API base URL's access_key parameter. This key is essential for authentication and ensures that only authorized users can access the data.

The API response delivers exchange rates relative to USD by default, and all data is returned in a structured JSON format, making it easy for developers to parse and utilize the information in their applications.

API Endpoint Examples and Responses

To illustrate the functionality of Metals-API, let's explore some example responses for various endpoints.

Latest Rates Endpoint

The Latest Rates Endpoint provides real-time exchange rates for all available metals. Here’s an example response:

{
    "success": true,
    "timestamp": 1751242064,
    "base": "USD",
    "date": "2025-06-30",
    "rates": {
        "XAU": 0.000482,
        "XAG": 0.03815,
        "XPT": 0.000912,
        "XPD": 0.000744,
        "XCU": 0.294118,
        "XAL": 0.434783,
        "XNI": 0.142857,
        "XZN": 0.344828
    },
    "unit": "per troy ounce"
}

This response indicates that the current exchange rate for gold (XAU) is 0.000482 per troy ounce, providing a snapshot of the market at that moment.

Historical Rates Endpoint

The Historical Rates Endpoint allows users to access historical exchange rates for any date since 1999. Here’s an example response:

{
    "success": true,
    "timestamp": 1751155664,
    "base": "USD",
    "date": "2025-06-29",
    "rates": {
        "XAU": 0.000485,
        "XAG": 0.03825,
        "XPT": 0.000915,
        "XPD": 0.000748
    },
    "unit": "per troy ounce"
}

This response shows the historical rates for various metals on a specific date, allowing users to analyze past market conditions.

Time-Series Endpoint

The Time-Series Endpoint provides exchange rates for a specific time period. Here’s an example response:

{
    "success": true,
    "timeseries": true,
    "start_date": "2025-06-23",
    "end_date": "2025-06-30",
    "base": "USD",
    "rates": {
        "2025-06-23": {
            "XAU": 0.000485,
            "XAG": 0.03825,
            "XPT": 0.000915
        },
        "2025-06-25": {
            "XAU": 0.000483,
            "XAG": 0.0382,
            "XPT": 0.000913
        },
        "2025-06-30": {
            "XAU": 0.000482,
            "XAG": 0.03815,
            "XPT": 0.000912
        }
    },
    "unit": "per troy ounce"
}

This response provides a time series of exchange rates, allowing users to visualize trends over the specified period.

Convert Endpoint

The Convert Endpoint allows users to convert any amount from one metal to another or to/from USD. Here’s an example response:

{
    "success": true,
    "query": {
        "from": "USD",
        "to": "XAU",
        "amount": 1000
    },
    "info": {
        "timestamp": 1751242064,
        "rate": 0.000482
    },
    "result": 0.482,
    "unit": "troy ounces"
}

This response indicates that 1000 USD is equivalent to 0.482 troy ounces of gold, providing a clear conversion result.

Fluctuation Endpoint

The Fluctuation Endpoint tracks rate fluctuations between two dates. Here’s an example response:

{
    "success": true,
    "fluctuation": true,
    "start_date": "2025-06-23",
    "end_date": "2025-06-30",
    "base": "USD",
    "rates": {
        "XAU": {
            "start_rate": 0.000485,
            "end_rate": 0.000482,
            "change": -3.0e-6,
            "change_pct": -0.62
        },
        "XAG": {
            "start_rate": 0.03825,
            "end_rate": 0.03815,
            "change": -0.0001,
            "change_pct": -0.26
        },
        "XPT": {
            "start_rate": 0.000915,
            "end_rate": 0.000912,
            "change": -3.0e-6,
            "change_pct": -0.33
        }
    },
    "unit": "per troy ounce"
}

This response provides insights into how prices have changed over the specified period, allowing users to assess market volatility.

OHLC (Open/High/Low/Close) Price Endpoint

The OHLC Price Endpoint provides detailed price information for a specific time period. Here’s an example response:

{
    "success": true,
    "timestamp": 1751242064,
    "base": "USD",
    "date": "2025-06-30",
    "rates": {
        "XAU": {
            "open": 0.000485,
            "high": 0.000487,
            "low": 0.000481,
            "close": 0.000482
        },
        "XAG": {
            "open": 0.03825,
            "high": 0.0383,
            "low": 0.0381,
            "close": 0.03815
        },
        "XPT": {
            "open": 0.000915,
            "high": 0.000918,
            "low": 0.00091,
            "close": 0.000912
        }
    },
    "unit": "per troy ounce"
}

This response provides a comprehensive view of price movements, essential for technical analysis and trading strategies.

Bid/Ask Endpoint

The Bid/Ask Endpoint provides current bid and ask prices for metals. Here’s an example response:

{
    "success": true,
    "timestamp": 1751242064,
    "base": "USD",
    "date": "2025-06-30",
    "rates": {
        "XAU": {
            "bid": 0.000481,
            "ask": 0.000483,
            "spread": 2.0e-6
        },
        "XAG": {
            "bid": 0.0381,
            "ask": 0.0382,
            "spread": 0.0001
        },
        "XPT": {
            "bid": 0.000911,
            "ask": 0.000913,
            "spread": 2.0e-6
        }
    },
    "unit": "per troy ounce"
}

This response provides essential information for traders looking to execute orders at the best possible prices.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Metals-API offers a comprehensive suite of tools for developers seeking to access and analyze historical prices for metals like US Midwest Domestic Hot-Rolled Coil Steel (US-HRC). With its robust set of endpoints, the API empowers users to retrieve real-time data, analyze historical trends, and make informed trading decisions. The digital transformation in metal markets, driven by technological innovation and data analytics, is reshaping how traders and analysts interact with market data. By leveraging the capabilities of Metals-API, developers can create next-generation applications that enhance user experience and provide valuable insights into the ever-changing landscape of metal prices.

For more information on how to get started with Metals-API, visit the Metals-API Website or check out the Metals-API Documentation for detailed guidance on using the API. To explore the full range of supported symbols, refer to the Metals-API Supported Symbols page.