Prices of heavy steel plates have been rising during the last few weeks in Iran, just like domestic prices of most other flat and long steel products. The Iranian heavy plate market has generally been on a rising trend since mid-February this year, despite some slowdowns and even some temporary declines. In the past few weeks, prices of St37 grade heavy plate have not risen so much due to the government's control of the sales prices of the two main local suppliers Kavian Steel and Khouzestan Oxin Steel. However, the prices of other grades of heavy plate not supplied by local mills (e.g., St52,A516, etc.) have seen greater increases as the government does not exert tight control over traders who import materials.
St37 grade heavy plate, which is mainly supplied by local mills and holds the largest share in the market among the other grades of heavy plate, has seen limited price increases in recent weeks. Local mills are currently pricing 10-40 mm St37 grade heavy steel plate at about $750-800/mt ex-works Ahwaz (southwest Iran), compared to $750-780/mt about five weeks ago and up from $735-770/mt about seven weeks ago.
Russian and Ukrainian origin 20-50 mm St52 grade heavy steel plates are now priced by local traders at about $1,010-1,070/mt ex-stock Tehran, up from $975-1,060/mt about five weeks ago and up from $960-1,050/mt about seven weeks ago. CIS origin 10-50 mm A516 grade heavy steel plate now stands in a price range of about $1,100-1,130/mt ex-stock Tehran, up from $970-1,070/mt five weeks ago and up from $960-1,050/mt about seven weeks ago. The difficulties facing imports have pushed up import costs, impacting the prices of some grades of heavy plate such as St52 and A516 in the last few months in Iran.
US$1 = Rials 10,450