Firm Stainless Plate Price in Tokyo

Stainless steel plate market price is 540,000-550,000 yen per tonne for SUS304 hot rolled coil cut plate with 3-6 millimeters thick and 660,000-680,000 yen for plate mill products with 7-14 mm thick around Tokyo. The price could increase more toward July when the dealers try to pass higher cost price after the makers’ hike. The worldwide supply is tight due to strong offshore demand for energy and petrochemical industry while vacuum chamber demand is strong for solar battery and liquid crystal television. The domestic distributors’ market also gets better in June while the dealers’ inventory gets normal level. Nippon Steel & Sumikin Stainless Steel decreased the selling price by 5,000 yen per tonne for distributors for June order to reflect lower nickel ingot price. The lower price could impact on the market price negatively.