Weak Plate Price in Tokyo

Market price of plate steel is weak with potential decrease at 80,000 yen per tonne for products with 19 millimeters thick, 5 feet width and 10 feet length in Tokyo. Market sees the price is weak when the supply and inventory adjustment takes more time for the better balance. The distributors report the makers’ lead time from order to shipment is getting shorter. The demand is slow for construction, which relates with the distributors’ market, in January-March. The demand is expected to increase after April but the major building projects apparently increase the demand in and after summer at earliest. The plate processors have to operate with orders for smaller building for a while.The inventory adjustment is expected to progress in April-June though the progress is slower than expected. A plate shearing processor in Tokyo area said the makers’ lead time is getting shorter and the arrivals are more than the processor’s shipment. The distributors will keep the selling price of plate when domestic integrated steel makers try to keep the selling price for the distributors.