Get US Midwest Steel CRU Jan 2026 (HVF26) Historical Prices with Simple API Calls
Introduction
In the rapidly evolving landscape of metal markets, having access to accurate and timely data is crucial for developers and businesses alike. One of the most effective ways to obtain historical prices for metals, such as the US Midwest Steel CRU Jan 2026 (HVF26), is through the Metals-API. This powerful tool allows users to retrieve comprehensive data on various metals, enabling informed decision-making and strategic planning. In this blog post, we will explore the capabilities of the Metals-API, focusing on how to access historical prices and the innovative features that make it a game-changer in the metal markets.
Understanding Metals-API
The Metals-API is a robust JSON API designed to provide real-time and historical data on metal prices. It offers a wide range of functionalities that cater to the needs of developers looking to integrate metal pricing data into their applications. With its user-friendly interface and extensive documentation, the Metals-API empowers developers to build next-generation applications that leverage real-time metals data.
About Tellurium (TE)
While this blog post primarily focuses on metals like steel, it's worth noting the broader context of metals in the market, including Tellurium (TE). The digital transformation in metal markets has led to significant technological advancements, allowing for better data analytics and insights. As industries increasingly integrate smart technology, the future of metal trading looks promising. The Metals-API plays a crucial role in this transformation, providing developers with the tools necessary to harness data effectively.
API Description
The Metals-API is designed to facilitate seamless access to metal pricing data. It offers various endpoints that allow users to retrieve the latest rates, historical prices, and even perform conversions between different metals and currencies. The API is built with innovation in mind, ensuring that developers can create applications that are not only functional but also scalable and efficient.
Key Features of Metals-API
The Metals-API boasts several key features that enhance its usability and functionality:
- Latest Rates Endpoint: Depending on your subscription plan, this endpoint provides real-time exchange rate data updated every 60 minutes or more frequently. This feature is essential for applications that require up-to-the-minute pricing information.
- Historical Rates Endpoint: Users can access historical rates dating back to 2019. By appending a specific date to the API call, developers can retrieve historical pricing data for analysis and reporting.
- Bid and Ask Endpoint: This powerful feature allows users to retrieve real-time bid and ask prices, providing insights into market dynamics and helping traders make informed decisions.
- Convert Endpoint: The API includes a conversion feature that allows users to convert amounts between different metals or to/from USD, making it versatile for various applications.
- Time-Series Endpoint: Developers can query the API for daily historical rates between two specified dates, enabling trend analysis and forecasting.
- Fluctuation Endpoint: This endpoint provides information about how metal prices fluctuate on a day-to-day basis, which is crucial for understanding market volatility.
- Carat Endpoint: Users can retrieve information about gold rates by carat, which is particularly useful for jewelers and gold traders.
- Lowest/Highest Price Endpoint: This feature allows users to query the API for the lowest and highest prices of metals over a specified period, aiding in market analysis.
- Open/High/Low/Close (OHLC) Price Endpoint: This endpoint provides detailed pricing information, including open, high, low, and close prices for a specific date, which is essential for traders.
- Historical LME Endpoint: Users can access historical rates for LME symbols dating back to 2008, providing a comprehensive view of market trends.
- API Key: Each user is assigned a unique API key, which is required for authentication and access to the API's features.
- API Response: The API delivers exchange rates relative to USD by default, ensuring consistency in data presentation.
- Available Endpoints: The Metals-API offers 14 different endpoints, each providing unique functionalities tailored to various user needs.
- Supported Symbols Endpoint: This endpoint returns a constantly updated list of all available metal symbols, ensuring users have access to the latest data.
- News Endpoint: Users can retrieve the latest news articles related to various metals, keeping them informed about market developments.
Accessing Historical Prices
To access historical prices for the US Midwest Steel CRU Jan 2026 (HVF26), developers can utilize the Historical Rates Endpoint. This endpoint allows users to specify a date and retrieve the corresponding metal prices. For example, if you want to know the price of steel on January 22, 2026, you would append that date to your API call.
Example of Historical Rates Endpoint
Here is an example of how the API response might look:
{
"success": true,
"timestamp": 1769041020,
"base": "USD",
"date": "2026-01-22",
"rates": {
"XAU": 0.000485,
"XAG": 0.03825,
"XPT": 0.000915,
"XPD": 0.000748
},
"unit": "per troy ounce"
}
In this response, the "rates" object contains the prices for various metals on the specified date, allowing users to analyze historical trends and make informed decisions based on past performance.
Time-Series Data for Trend Analysis
For developers looking to analyze trends over a specific period, the Time-Series Endpoint is invaluable. This endpoint allows users to retrieve daily historical rates between two dates, providing a comprehensive view of price movements over time.
Example of Time-Series Endpoint
Here’s an example of a response from the Time-Series Endpoint:
{
"success": true,
"timeseries": true,
"start_date": "2026-01-16",
"end_date": "2026-01-23",
"base": "USD",
"rates": {
"2026-01-16": {
"XAU": 0.000485,
"XAG": 0.03825,
"XPT": 0.000915
},
"2026-01-18": {
"XAU": 0.000483,
"XAG": 0.0382,
"XPT": 0.000913
},
"2026-01-23": {
"XAU": 0.000482,
"XAG": 0.03815,
"XPT": 0.000912
}
},
"unit": "per troy ounce"
}
This response provides daily rates for the specified period, allowing developers to visualize trends and fluctuations in metal prices.
Advanced Features for Enhanced Functionality
The Metals-API is not just about retrieving historical data; it also offers advanced features that enhance its functionality and usability. For instance, the Bid and Ask Endpoint provides real-time bid and ask prices, which are crucial for traders looking to make quick decisions based on market conditions.
Example of Bid/Ask Endpoint
Here’s an example of a response from the Bid/Ask Endpoint:
{
"success": true,
"timestamp": 1769127420,
"base": "USD",
"date": "2026-01-23",
"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 the current bid and ask prices for various metals, along with the spread, which is essential for traders to understand market liquidity.
Conversion Capabilities
The Convert Endpoint is another powerful feature of the Metals-API, allowing users to convert amounts between different metals or to/from USD. This is particularly useful for applications that require currency conversion for pricing or reporting purposes.
Example of Convert Endpoint
Here’s how a response from the Convert Endpoint might look:
{
"success": true,
"query": {
"from": "USD",
"to": "XAU",
"amount": 1000
},
"info": {
"timestamp": 1769127420,
"rate": 0.000482
},
"result": 0.482,
"unit": "troy ounces"
}
This response shows the conversion of 1000 USD to gold (XAU), providing the user with the equivalent amount in troy ounces.
Performance Optimization and Security Considerations
When integrating the Metals-API into applications, developers should consider performance optimization strategies. This includes implementing caching mechanisms to reduce API calls and improve response times. Additionally, understanding rate limits and quota management is crucial to ensure that applications run smoothly without interruptions.
Security Best Practices
Security is paramount when working with APIs. Developers should ensure that their API keys are kept confidential and not exposed in client-side code. Implementing secure authentication methods and regularly monitoring API usage can help mitigate potential security risks.
Conclusion
The Metals-API is an invaluable resource for developers looking to access historical prices and real-time data for metals like the US Midwest Steel CRU Jan 2026 (HVF26). With its extensive features, including the Historical Rates Endpoint, Time-Series Endpoint, and advanced functionalities like bid/ask pricing and conversion capabilities, the Metals-API empowers developers to build innovative applications that leverage real-time metals data.
For more information on how to get started with the Metals-API, be sure to check out the Metals-API Documentation and explore the Metals-API Supported Symbols for a comprehensive list of available metals. The future of metal trading is bright, and with the right tools, developers can harness the power of data to drive their applications forward.