SteelOrbis Shanghai
Chinese
plate exporters are expected to increase their prices for May shipments, while the upward trend in domestic market prices came to an end.
SteelOrbis learnt that offers for the first grade wide and thick
plate exported to
Japan are at $450/mt CFR level and those for common thick
plate are at around $430/mt CFR. Currently, prices for common 19 mm (3'x 6') thick plates are at Yen 74,000 - 78,000/mt ($637-672/mt). It has been learnt that
Angang plans to hike its thick
plate offers for May shipments to
Japan by $20-25/mt.
In domestic markets,
plate prices are now in a stable trend with slight fluctuations. The prices in the Shanghai market have seen obvious falls, and those in Tianjin were generally steady with slight decreases in some specifications, while those in Lecong recorded some increases after Shaoguan Steel and Liuzhou Steel increased their ex-factory prices.
Despite the price falls in Shanghai and Tianjin, 16 mm Q235 B average price in domestic markets rose RMB 43/mt ($5/mt) weekly to RMB 3,493/mt ($434/mt) thanks to the price increases in the first days of last week.
Plate prices are expected to remain stable next week.