China's domestic steel section market has witnessed small fluctuations in prices during the past week, with the market trend still mostly on the weak side but also with upticks seen in some regions due to the influence of the slight rise in billet prices.
In the Shanghai market, the price of 50 mm x 50 mm x 5 m steel angles is now at $557/mt. The same product is sold at $532/mt in the Tangshan market and at $574/mt in the Guangzhou market. Meanwhile, prices of 160 mm x 65 mm x 8.5 mm steel channels stand at $549/mt in the Shanghai market, at $538/mt in Tangshan and at $614/mt in the Guangzhou market. In the Shanghai, Tangshan and Guangzhou markets, 250 mm x 118 mm x 10 m I-beam prices stand respectively at $690/mt, $562/mt and $601/mt. The prices are all ex-mill, including 17 percent VAT. Average steel section prices in China can be viewed in the SteelOrbis price reports section.
As for billet, prices in the Chinese market moved up by a small margin during the past week. In Tangshan, the current price of Q235 150 x 150 mm square billet is at RMB 2,990/mt ($483/mt), the price of 165 x 225 mm rectangular billet stands at RMB 3,020/mt ($487mt), while the price of 20MnSi billet is around RMB 3,110/mt ($502mt). The prices are all ex-mill, including 17 percent VAT.
The trading volume in China's steel section market has indicated an improvement compared to the previous week, though the market outlook is still uncertain and traders are not so confident regarding the possibility of upward movement in prices. If further prices increases are observed for billet, then the domestic steel section market may also indicate upward movement. However, the likely trend of billet prices in the coming period remains unclear. It is thought that Chinese domestic steel section prices may follow a sideways trend during the coming week.