Flat Structural Steel Bar Price in Tokyo

Structural steel market price is flat at around 145,000 yen per tonne for carbon steel bar for machine structural use and at around 170,000 yen for chrome and molybdenum steel bar around Tokyo. The price is expected to keep the level when the market interests try to find the trend under slower demand. A dealer source said the dealers’ inventory will increase when the demand started to decrease since August and the makers’ delivery lead time gets shorter. Other dealer source said the inventory increases widely in the month due to higher delivery from the makers. The dealers concern if they could pass higher cost price on the market when Daido Steel and other makers increase the selling price by 10,000 yen per tonne. Some dealers anticipate the buyers don’t accept additional higher price after a series of price hikes. The dealers’ inventory is expected to increase in August and September after decrease trend from January through July. With the supply balance, the market price is peaking. However, some dealers expect the demand for larger sized materials would keep firm due to strong demand for automobile and construction machinery.