Chinese domestic steel section prices mostly indicate slight increases

Chinese domestic steel section prices have mostly moved up slightly during the past week.

In the Shanghai market, the price of 50 mm x 50 mm x 5 m steel angles is now at $622/mt (RMB 4,280/mt). The same product is sold at $587/mt (RMB 4,040/mt) in the Tangshan market and at $647/mt (RMB 4,450/mt) in the Guangzhou market. Meanwhile, prices of 160 mm x 65 mm x 8.5 mm steel channels stand at $581/mt (RMB 4,000/mt) in the Shanghai market, at $586/mt (RMB 4,030/mt) in Tangshan and at $670/mt (RMB 4,610/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 $593/mt (RMB 4,080/mt), $594/mt (RMB 4,090/mt) and $658/mt (RMB 4,530/mt). The prices are all ex-mill, including 13 percent VAT. Steel section prices in the Chinese domestic market can be viewed in the table below.

As for billet, prices of the semi-finished steel product in the Chinese domestic market have continued to increase by small margins during the past seven days. In Tangshan, the current price of Q235 150 x 150 mm square billet is at RMB 3,660/mt ($532/mt), the price of 165 x 225 mm rectangular billet stands at RMB 3,680/mt ($535/mt), while the price of 20MnSi billet is at around RMB 3,760/mt ($547/mt). The prices are all ex-mill, including 13 percent VAT.

Overall trading activity in the local Chinese steel section market prices has been at low levels in the past week, while most traders in the market have chosen to raise their prices slightly due to the upticks in billet prices and the reduction in output caused by environmental measures. However, there have been signs of some prices softening due to decreases in raw material futures prices. As for the week ahead, it is believed that domestic steel section prices may indicate some small fluctuations in an upward direction.

$1 = RMB 6.88