Firm Plate Price in Tokyo

Plate steel price is firm at 80,000 yen per tonne for product with 19 millimeters thick, 5 feet width and 10 feet long and at more than 95,000 yen for cut processed plate around Tokyo. The price is expected to keep firm when the industry interests expect the tight supply keeps longer.

The supply is tight under strong demand for shipbuilding and construction and industrial machinery along with demand recovery for bridge and construction. The supply is expected to get tighter toward January-March.

Domestic integrated steel makers keep the full capacity operations. A source in the maker said the every tonnage is precious under the condition when the makers cannot meet some of the delivery schedule.

However, the distributors said the supply can meet the demand level despite of the tightness under shrinking distributors’ market when makers directly ship for major projects and distributors already secured some inventory with expectation of tighter supply. The shearing processors’ capacity utilization is getting higher including smaller processors under higher construction demand though they are not busy as makers.