In the week ending December 22, steel plate prices in the Chinese domestic market have indicated a minor upward movement for common carbon and low alloy medium plates, while slight downticks have been seen in prices of shipbuilding plate, with overall transaction activity in the market has slackened and is generally at poor levels. Average steel plate prices in China can be viewed in the SteelOrbis price reports section.
During the given week, some steel plates prices have indicated an uptrend due to supply shortages, despite the sluggishness of transaction activity. If demand from downstream industries does not show an improvement and if iron ore prices continue to be characterized by some degree of softness, then steel plates prices in the Chinese domestic market will likely move on a declining trend in the coming week, especially as new supplies are expected to arrive in the market.