Trading activity still weak in Chinese domestic steel section market

Chinese domestic steel section prices have moved on a slight downtrend during the past week.

In the Shanghai market, the price of 50 mm x 50 mm x 5 m steel angles is now at $403/mt. The same product is sold at $335/mt in the Tangshan market and at $399/mt in the Guangzhou market. Meanwhile, prices of 160 mm x 65 mm x 8.5 mm steel channels stand at $388/mt in the Shanghai market, at $332/mt in Tangshan and at $426/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 $389/mt, $348/mt and $435/mt. The prices are all ex-mill, including 17 percent VAT. Steel section prices in the Chinese domestic market can be viewed in the SteelOrbis price reports section.
 
As for billet, in the past week prices in the Chinese domestic market first moved up but then started to soften, with prices at present slightly higher compared to one week ago. In Tangshan, the current price of Q235 150 x 150 mm square billet is at RMB 1,930/mt ($290/mt), the price of 165 x 225 mm rectangular billet stands at RMB 1,960/mt ($295/mt), while the price of 20MnSi billet is at around RMB 2,050/mt ($308/mt). The prices are all ex-mill, including 17 percent VAT.
 
Overall trading activity in the Chinese domestic steel section market has remained sluggish in the past week, contributing to the slight downtrend seen in market prices. While traders have chosen to reduce their prices slightly, they are not giving discounts at present. As for the coming week, it is believed that domestic steel section prices will mostly continue to move on a slight downtrend.

$1 =RMB 6.65