Weak Steel Plate Price in Tokyo

Steel plate price is weakening at around 79,000-80,000 yen per tonne in Tokyo for nonstandard sized plates of domestic makers with 19 millimeters thick, 5 feet of width and 10 feet of length. The price is declining under easy supply and low shipment among dealers.Dealer source said steel plate shipment is stagnant and the market is in a wait-and-see mood. Steel plate demand is brisk mainly for large contract users, especially for manufacturing industries. Supply and demand are balanced totally. However, the supply is easing for dealers and distributors because makers’ delivery lead time became shorter toward late March and steel plate arrival has increased at dealers’ sites.Material plate price is flat for domestic products when integrated steel makers left their selling prices unchanged. On the other hand, processed plate price is weakening for some products. Some shearing processors aim to sustain the price at above 100 yen per kilogram to keep the profits, while some dealer sources say the market price is likely to decrease gradually.