H-beam Stock in the end of December to Increase to 245,500 Tonnes

A Japanese major steel manufacturer Nippon Steel announced on Thursday that the whole Japan’s distribution stock of H-beam by Tokiwakai, which is Nippon Steel’s distributor association, increased by 6.3% from the previous month to 245,500 tonnes and increased for 2 consecutive months. The stock rate rose 0.29 month from the end of last month to 1.79 months which exceeded over 1.7 months for the first time since last July of 1.83 months. Nippon Steel thinks that the rate of around 1.5 months is appropriate which has continued since last September, and the firm pointed out that might build up the decreased production depending on the demand trends in the future. The firm explained that the stock volume in the end of December increased because the shipping volume decreased as there are few business days in December due to New Year vacation. Moreoner, influence of much snow in the Tohoku and Hokuriku areas, which are Central and Northeastern Japan respectively, also resulted in increase of the stock. Nippon Steel said that the firm would keep cautious attitudes for the supply because the demand got into drop-off period, and expect to distributors would establish stable market.Nippon Steel will leave the selling price of H-beam for the distributors unchanged in the contract of January 2006. The firm kept the price for 3 consecutive months since the contract of October, 2005 when it decreased by 3,000 yen per tonne for the first time in 7 years and 8 months.