Weak Plate Steel Price in Tokyo

Plate steel market price is decreasing at around 105,000-110,000 yen per tonne for standard sized product with 19 millimeters thick, 5 feet width and 10 feet length and at around 110,000-120,000 yen for cut processed materials around Tokyo. Dealers’ shipment keeps low despite of excess inventory.

Plate demand maintains stagnant from construction or construction and industrial machines. Dealers’ plate shipment almost halved from a year earlier. Among major 10 dealers around Tokyo, plate inventory reached 80,000 tonnes at the end of February, according to the dealers’ association. The inventory was higher by about 30% than the normal level of 60,000 tonnes before October 2008. Inventory level stays high though dealers are reducing offer volume to makers.

Plate price keeps relatively high for some products such as dimension lumber while maintains downward for ordinary products including SS grade and non-dimension lumber.