Cold Rolled Steel Sheet Price is Weak in Tokyo

The market price of cold rolled steel sheet is weak in Tokyo. The price is decreasing to 80,000-81,000 yen per tonne for products with 1.2 millimeters thick, 3 feet width and 6 feet length when the supply is not tight while the demand is slow.

The inventory adjustment of the products in the market is delay. The dealers expect the adjustment could take time after April. The dealers’ shipment is slow when the users are out of the market with expectation of lower price.

The import of cold rolled coil, which influences on the domestic supply, increased by 40% in January to November 2005 from same period of 2004. The higher import cools the mood in the market under the slow demand though the monthly 70,000-80,000 tonnes of import are usual and the import was unusual lower in 2004.

The import inventory keeps increasing at the high level at around 60,000 tonnes at Tokyo bay area, according to Hanwa Co. The cheaper import pressures on the market price though domestic major distributors try to keep the selling price.