Chinese domestic steel section prices have followed a mostly stable trend 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 2,960/mt ($423/mt), the price of 165 mm x 225 mm rectangular billet stands at RMB 2,980/mt ($425/mt), while the price of 20MnSi billet is at around RMB 3,060/mt ($437/mt). The prices are all ex-mill, including 13 percent VAT.
Mainstream ex-China H-beam section steel offer prices from the ports of Shanghai and Tianjin stand at $490-525/mt FOB as of today, Monday, January 19, up slightly compared to January 12.
Overall trading activity in the domestic steel section market has been slack in the past week, while prices have mostly remained stable, despite some minor downticks in upstream billet prices. As for the week ahead, amid support from the cost side and the weakness of the demand side, it is believed that steel section prices may fluctuate by small margins.
| Product name | Specification | City | Price (RMB/mt) | Weekly change (RMB/mt) | Price ($/mt) | Weekly change ($/mt) |
| Angle (Q235) | 50 mm x 50 mm x 5 mm | Shanghai | 3,350 | 0 | 478 | 0 |
| Beijing | 3,180 | 0 | 454 | 0 | ||
| Tangshan | 3,270 | 0 | 467 | 0 | ||
| Tianjin | 3,070 | 20 | 438 | 3 | ||
| Guangzhou | 3,530 | 0 | 504 | 0 | ||
| Average price | 3,280 | 4 | 468 | 1 | ||
| Channel (Q235) | 160 mm x 65 mm x 8.5 mm | Shanghai | 3,470 | 0 | 495 | 0 |
| Beijing | 3,150 | 0 | 450 | 0 | ||
| Tangshan | 3,250 | 0 | 464 | 0 | ||
| Tianjin | 3,060 | 20 | 437 | 3 | ||
| Guangzhou | 3,480 | 0 | 497 | 0 | ||
| Average price | 3,282 | 4 | 469 | 1 | ||
| I-beam (Q235) | 250 mm x 118 mm x 10 mm | Shanghai | 3,390 | 0 | 484 | 0 |
| Beijing | 3,230 | 0 | 461 | 0 | ||
| Tangshan | 3,350 | 0 | 478 | 0 | ||
| Tianjin | 3,160 | 20 | 451 | 3 | ||
| Guangzhou | 3,590 | 0 | 512 | 0 | ||
| Average price | 3,344 | 4 | 477 | 1 |
The prices are all ex-mill, including 13 percent VAT.
$1 = RMB 7.005
| Product Name | Category | Specification | Port | FOB Price(USD) | Rise & Fall (USD) |
| H beam | Q235B | 200*200*8*12 | Tianjin | 490 | 4 |
| Q235B | 600*200*11*17 | Tianjin | 515 | 4 | |
| SS400 | 200*200*8*12 | Tianjin | 495 | 4 | |
| SS400 | 600*200*11*17 | Tianjin | 520 | 4 | |
| S275JR | HEA200 | Tianjin | 505 | 4 | |
| A36 | W8*31 | Tianjin | 505 | 4 | |
| A36 | W12*65 | Tianjin | 520 | 4 | |
| A36 | W12*65 | Shanghai | 530 | 4 | |
| Q355B | 200*200*8*12 | Tianjin | 525 | 4 | |
| Q355B | 200*200*8*12 | Shanghai | 535 | 4 |