On March 25, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) announced that during last week (March 17-23) the overall average finished steel price in China indicated a decline of 0.1 percent week on week.
As of March 23, the average prices of 12 mm diameter rebar and 3 mm hot rolled common sheet were down 0.3 percent, week on week.
As of the given date, the average price of minerals in China was down 2.5 percent compared to one week earlier. In particular, the average prices of zinc ore, iron ore, molybdenum ore and lead ore were down 1.6 percent, 1.0 percent, 0.7 percent and 0.4 percent, while the average prices of copper ore and tin ore were up 2.2 percent and 0.9 percent, week on week, respectively.
In the given week, the average price of non-ferrous metals in China rose by 0.3 percent compared to the previous week. The average price of nickel (Ni >= 99.2%) increased by 9.4 percent week on week.
In addition, as of March 23, the average price of energy in China indicated a decrease of 0.9 percent week on week. The average prices of brown coal, bituminous coal and anthracite coal were down 2.5 percent, 1.3 percent and 1.0 percent respectively, week on week. Meanwhile, the average price of crude oil was up 0.3 percent, while the average price of metallurgical coke remained unchanged, both week on week.