Chinese users ask Japan to drop SB plate price
Chinese shipbuilders have asked Japanese steelmakers to reduce their fourth-quarter
shipbuilding heavy
plate export price by $30-40/ton.
Japan steelmakers' fourth-quarter export price for
shipbuilding heavy
plate has been quoted at $705-720/ton for
China. In contrast, their delivery price for South
Korea has been quoted at $680/ton for October 2005-March 2006 delivery.
The price decline of domestic
shipbuilding plate in
China – Wuhan Steel, for instance, lowered its delivery price by RMB 150/ton ($18) – has led Chinese users to seek similar reductions from Japanese producers. However, their cries have fallen on deaf ears so far.
Some news reports suggest that if the two parties cannot reach a timely agreement, then
Japan steelmakers would postpone their delivery for October 2005 rather than accept a price level of less than $700/ton (FOB).
Meanwhile,
Japan shipbuilding steelmakers such as
Sumitomo keep on increasing their domestic prices.