Firm Sheet Steel Price in Tokyo

Sheet steel market price is firm at 66,000-68,000 yen per tonne for mid-sized hot rolled steel, 74,000-76,000 yen for pickling steel and 80,000-82,000 yen for cold rolled sheet around Tokyo. The price is likely to keep firm when the makers try to keep the low level supply to the distributors’ market. The supply is getting tighter when the hot, cold and coated sheet inventory is estimated to keep low at the end of December as 3.81 million tonnes at end November. The demand keeps firm for automobile while the demand is firm for industrial machinery and construction demand recovers. The dealers have some stock out size for some sizes under lower import volume though pickling steel supply is still easier than other sheet items. Tokyo Steel Manufacturing, which is one of major suppliers for distributors’ hot coil market, increased the selling price by 3,000 yen per tonne for hot coil and hot rolled sheet for February order. The dealers try to pass the higher cost price on the reselling price.