The price of heavy steel plate in the local Iranian market has been soaring in the last few weeks, supported by the global increases in steel prices. Iranian domestic mills (Kavian Steel and Khouzestan Oxin Steel) are currently offering St37 10-40 mm heavy plate at about $665-705/mt ex-works Ahwaz (southwestern Iran), up from $600-620/mt three weeks ago and up from $575-595/mt about five weeks ago.
Russian and Ukrainian origin St52 10-50 mm plate are standing at about $930-945/mt ex-stock Tehran, up from $860-920/mt about three weeks ago and up from $815-855/mt five weeks ago. There is usually a large gap between prices of St37 and St52 grade plates in the local Iranian market, as local mills generally do not produce St52 heavy plate grade, with the shortfall having to be imported, mostly from the CIS.
CIS origin A516 10-50 mm heavy plate is currently standing at about $1,040-1,050/mt ex-stock Tehran, which is about $80-100/mt higher than its price about three weeks ago. Western European origin A516 10-50 mm heavy plate stands in a price range of about $1,510-1,530/mt in the local Iranian market, representing a price increase of about $150-180/mt compared with three weeks ago.
Iran imports some part of its demand for heavy plate from CIS countries, especially from Russia and Ukraine, as local production is unable to meet local market demand. Iran imported about 319,000 mt of plate (thicknesses above 10 mm) in the first four months of the current Iranian year (started March 21), up 80 percent on the volume of 177,000 mt in the same period of the last Iranian year - according to the newly published figures from the Iranian customs authorities.