Prices in the Chinese domestic steel section market have on average moved down slightly during the past week.
In the Shanghai market, the price of 50 mm x 50 mm x 5 m steel angles is now at $484/mt. The same product is sold at $440/mt in the Tangshan market and at $505/mt in the Guangzhou market. Meanwhile, prices of 160 mm x 65 mm x 8.5 mm steel channels stand at $474/mt in the Shanghai market, at $439/mt in Tangshan and at $534/mt in the Guangzhou market. In the Shanghai, Tangshan and Guangzhou markets, 250 mm x 118 mm x 10 m I-beam prices stand respectively at $479/mt, $455/mt and $524/mt. The prices are all ex-mill, including 17 percent VAT. Steel section prices in the Chinese domestic market can be viewed in the SteelOrbis price reports section.
As for billet, prices in the Chinese domestic market have rebounded slightly in the past seven days. In Tangshan, the current price of Q235 150 x 150 mm square billet is at RMB 2,430/mt ($395/mt), the price of 165 x 225 mm rectangular billet stands at RMB 2,460/mt ($400/mt), while the price of 20MnSi billet is at around RMB 2,550/mt ($415/mt). The prices are all ex-mill, including 17 percent VAT.
Chinese domestic steel section prices have mostly decreased slightly during the past week, with the decease margin smaller compared to the previous week. However, a few prices have seen minor upticks on the back of slight rises in billet prices and also because of low inventory levels for some products. Slow trading activity is still the main factor causing the overall weakness of the steel section market. As for the coming week, it is believed that the Chinese domestic steel section market will be characterized by a fluctuating trend, with some slight decreases possible.
$1 = RMB 6.15