Chinese domestic steel section prices have mostly followed a slight downtrend during the past seven days.
As for billet, prices of the semi-finished steel product in the Chinese domestic market have showed a slightly soft trend during the past week. In Tangshan, the current price of Q235 150 mm x 150 mm square billet is at RMB 2,950/mt ($422/mt), the price of 165 mm x 225 mm rectangular billet stands at RMB 2,970/mt ($425/mt), while the price of 20MnSi billet is at around RMB 3,050/mt ($437/mt). The prices are all ex-mill, including 13 percent VAT.
Mainstream ex-China H-beam section steel offer prices from Shanghai or Tianjin ports stand at $491-526/mt FOB as of today, Monday, January 26, increasing by a small margin compared to January 19.
Overall trading activity in the domestic steel section market has been slack over the past week due to the offseason and also as the Chinese New Year holiday is approaching, while most prices have softened a little, following a similar trend seen in billet prices. As for the week ahead, it is believed that steel section prices may edge down by a small margin.
| Product name | Specification | City | Price (RMB/mt) | Weekly change (RMB/mt) | Price ($/mt) | Weekly change ($/mt) |
| Angle (Q235) | 50 mm x 50 mm x 5 mm | Shanghai | 3,330 | -20 | 477 | -1 |
| Beijing | 3,180 | 0 | 455 | 1 | ||
| Tangshan | 3,250 | -20 | 465 | -1 | ||
| Tianjin | 3,060 | -10 | 438 | -0 | ||
| Guangzhou | 3,510 | -20 | 503 | -1 | ||
| Average price | 3,266 | -14 | 468 | -1 | ||
| Channel (Q235) | 160 mm x 65 mm x 8.5 mm | Shanghai | 3,450 | -20 | 494 | -1 |
| Beijing | 3,150 | 0 | 451 | 1 | ||
| Tangshan | 3,230 | -20 | 462 | -1 | ||
| Tianjin | 3,050 | -10 | 437 | -0 | ||
| Guangzhou | 3,480 | 0 | 498 | 1 | ||
| Average price | 3,272 | -10 | 468 | -0 | ||
| I-beam (Q235) | 250 mm x 118 mm x 10 mm | Shanghai | 3,370 | -20 | 483 | -1 |
| Beijing | 3,230 | 0 | 462 | 1 | ||
| Tangshan | 3,330 | -20 | 477 | -1 | ||
| Tianjin | 3,150 | -10 | 451 | -0 | ||
| Guangzhou | 3,590 | 0 | 514 | 2 | ||
| Average price | 3,334 | -10 | 477 | 0 |
The prices are all ex-mill, including 13 percent VAT.
$1 = RMB 6.984
| Product Name | Category | Specification | Port | FOB Price(USD) | Rise & Fall (USD) |
| H beam | Q235B | 200*200*8*12 | Tianjin | 491 | 1 |
| Q235B | 600*200*11*17 | Tianjin | 516 | 1 | |
| SS400 | 200*200*8*12 | Tianjin | 496 | 1 | |
| SS400 | 600*200*11*17 | Tianjin | 521 | 1 | |
| S275JR | HEA200 | Tianjin | 506 | 1 | |
| A36 | W8*31 | Tianjin | 506 | 1 | |
| A36 | W12*65 | Tianjin | 521 | 1 | |
| A36 | W12*65 | Shanghai | 531 | 1 | |
| Q355B | 200*200*8*12 | Tianjin | 526 | 1 | |
| Q355B | 200*200*8*12 | Shanghai | 536 | 1 |
