Heavy steel plate prices have been coming down in local Iranian market in the last few weeks, in spite of the rising trend in the international market. Iranian mills and traders made some attempts to raise their heavy steel plate prices a few weeks ago - following the cutting of energy subsidies by the government in the middle of December - but low volumes of orders have finally forced them to reduce their prices.
Local mills currently price 10-40 mm St37 grade heavy steel plate at about $730-775/mt ex-works Ahwaz (southwest Iran), down from $750-780/mt about two weeks ago, up from 720-750/mt about six weeks ago and up from $710-740/mt about 10 weeks ago. Kavian Steel and Khouzestan Oxin Steel are the two main domestic suppliers of heavy steel plates in Iran.
Russian and Ukrainian origin 20-150 mm St52 grade heavy steel plates are now priced by local traders at about $950-1,030/mt ex-stock Tehran, down from $970-1,020/mt about two weeks ago, down from $990-1,045/mt about six weeks ago and down from $970-1,015/mt about 10 weeks ago.
CIS origin 10-50 mm A516 grade heavy steel plate now stands at about $,1025-1,035/mt ex-stock Tehran, down from $1,070-1,080/mt about two weeks ago, down from $1,030-1,040/mt about six weeks ago, and decreasing from $1,060-1,065 around 10 weeks ago. Western European origin 8-40 mm A516 grade heavy steel plates are currently standing at about $330-350/mt higher than the CIS origin material in the local Iranian market.