Steel Sheet Market Price in Strong Tone around Tokyo

Steel sheet price is flat with potential increase in Tokyo. The market price is at around 67,000-69,000 yen per tonne for hot-rolled steel sheet, at around 75,000-77,000 yen per tonne for pickling steel sheet and at around 81,000-82,000 yen per tonne for cold-rolled steel sheet.Supply and demand balance is adjusting in the market when steel sheet inventory decreased to 4.1 million tonnes in Japan at the end of April for zinc coated, hot- and cold-rolled products and the arrivals of imports also decreased. There seems stock out in some sized products at dealers’ sites. Consequently some coil centers raised their reselling prices. Dealer source said that the inventory is little of hot-rolled sheet with 1,524mm width and that the price could jump up with slight demand recovery.However, the market price is not strong enough to increase. Dealers’ selling stances are weak in order to secure the selling volume under purchase integration by large contract users. Favorable factor is that construction demand is becoming active, while makers feel the demand is brisk but dealers feel not. It seems uncertain whether the market price could maintain strong.