Domestic steel section prices in China have on average moved down slightly over the past week. In the Shanghai market, the price of 50 mm x 50 mm x 5 m steel angles is now at $575/mt. The same product is sold at $561/mt in the Tangshan market and at $592/mt in the Guangzhou market. Meanwhile, prices of 160 mm x 65 mm x 8.5 mm steel channels stand at $575/mt in the Shanghai market, at $566/mt in Tangshan and at $608/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 $592/mt, $577/mt and $616/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, prices in the Chinese market have moved up slightly compare to last week. In Tangshan, the current price of Q235 150 x 150 mm square billet is at RMB 3,180/mt ($520/mt), the price of 165 x 225 mm rectangular billet stands at RMB 3,210/mt ($525mt), while the price of 20MnSi billet is around RMB 3,300/mt ($539mt). The prices are all ex-mill, including 17 percent VAT.
While Chinese domestic steel section prices are down slightly compared to one week ago, prices have seen a minor rise today, Monday, September 2, in line with the uptick in billet prices. Trading activity is still slack, while market sentiment is mostly on the negative side. In the past week, the decrease in steel section prices in the northern region was higher compared to the decreases seen in the east and south of the country. Producers have not changed their quoted prices during the past week and so the price trend will mainly depend on demand and stock levels. The market is expected to be characterized by slight fluctuations in the price trend in the coming week.