In the week ending December 8, steel plate prices in the Chinese domestic market have moved on diverse trends, with a stable trend seen for shipbuilding plate prices and slight upticks observed for common carbon and low alloy medium plate, while transaction activity in the market is mostly at decent levels, though activity is slack in the north of the country. Average steel plate prices in China can be viewed in the SteelOrbis price reports section.
During the given week, steel plate prices have indicated diverse trends, with prices in eastern China, southern China and most cities in southwestern China seeing slight upticks, while prices in northeastern and northwestern China have moved on a declining trend. Demand in eastern China, southern China and most cities in southwestern China has been better compared to demand in northern China, with lower inventory levels seen in the busier regions.
In the short run, steel plate supply in eastern and southern China will be limited. It is expected that diverse trends will continue to be witnessed in the Chinese steel plate market in the coming week, with a rising trend likely to be seen in southern China, while a slight downtrend will likely be observed in northern China due to the cold weather and slack demand there.