During the week ending July 21, domestic semi-finished steel prices in China have generally followed a rising trend, though billet prices in Fujian have seen declines and in Jiangsu remained stable, while transaction activity in the overall market has been better than previous week, but still at low levels. Average prices of steel billet and slab in the local Chinese market are presented in the table below.
During the given week, finished steel prices have indicated some improvement, easing the pressure on semi-finished steel prices. Meanwhile, iron ore prices have rebounded, providing certain support to semi-finished steel prices, stimulating semi-finished steel prices to move up in northern China as prices there was at low levels, while prices in Fujian have edged down due to increases recorded in the previous week.
Currently, sentiment among the market has shown improvement. It is expected that semi-finished steel prices in the Chinese domestic market will continue their upward trend in the coming week as some steelmakers who have failed to meet the standard of environmental protection will be charged three times electricity prices, which will lower the inventory level of semi-finished steel resources.
Product name | Specification (mm) | Category | City | Price | Price (US$/mt) | Weekly change |
(RMB/mt) | (RMB/mt) | |||||
150 x 150 | Q195-235 | Jiangyin,Jiangsu | 1,920 | 310 | 0 | |
Jinzhong,Shanxi | 1,800 | 290 | ↑100 | |||
Tangshan,Hebei | 1,850 | 298 | ↑100 | |||
Fuzhou,Fujian | 1,830 | 295 | ↓70 | |||
Average price | 1,850 | 298 | ↑33 | |||
150 x 150 | 20MnSi | Jiangyin,Jiangsu | 2,020 | 326 | 0 | |
Jinzhong,Shanxi | 1,900 | 306 | ↑80 | |||
Tangshan,Hebei | 1,950 | 315 | ↑100 | |||
Fuzhou,Fujian | 1,930 | 311 | ↓70 | |||
Average price | 1,950 | 315 | ↑28 | |||
250 x 1,800 x 6,000 | Q235 | Tangshan,Hebei | 1,870 | 302 | ↑100 |
The prices are on actual weight basis, 17 percent VAT is included in all prices and all prices are ex-warehouse.
$1 = RMB 6.21