Outokumpu, Aperam and Acciai Speciali Terni, leading stainless steel producers in Europe, have increased their alloy surcharges for May compared to last month. Alloy surcharges for 304 stainless steel sheet of 2.0 mm thickness have increased by €97-108/mt, due to the impact of the surge in nickel prices as stated by market sources. On April 29, the cash seller and settlement nickel price at London Metal Exchange (LME) closed at $18,230/mt, while nickel prices are expected to continue their uptrend in the longer term.
Alloy surcharges for May 2014;
Producer/ Grade | Outokumpu | Monthly change (€/mt) | Aperam | Monthly change (€/mt) | Acciai Speciali Terni | Monthly change (€/mt) |
430 | €430/mt ($593/mt) | +24 | €413/mt ($570/mt) | +1 | €443/mt ($611/mt) | +5 |
304 | €1,186/mt ($1,542/mt) | +108 | €1,175/mt ($1,622/mt) | +97 | €1,186/mt ($1,637/mt) | +102 |
316 | €1,778/mt ($2,454/mt) | +207 | €1,763/mt ($2,433/mt) | +192 | €1,773/mt ($2,447/mt) | +182 |
€1 = $1.38