Japan Major Steels to Hike Steel Export Price to Asia in F2008

Japanese integrated steel makers will try to increase the export price for the year starting April 2008. They expect the steel supply keeps tight with Asian strong demand for automobile, appliances, construction machinery and energy industry while raw materials cost could increase for iron ore and coking coal. The steel makers already started presentation for raw materials situation. The makers increased the hot rolled coil export price by more than US$ 100 per tonne for South Korean rerollers from recent bottom of January-March 2007. JFE Steel increased the shipbuilding steel plate price by around US$ 20 for South Korea. The steel makers keep negotiating with Asian transplants of Japanese appliances makers to realize higher price. Japanese steel makers try to pass higher cost price for raw materials and freight. They concern major jump of price for iron ore and coking coal for fiscal 2008 starting April 2008. The makers also expect Asian steel demand could keep firm mainly for manufacturers even if marginal up and down depending on the areas. Other Asian major steel makers including POSCO of South Korea and Baosteel Group of China are likely to increase the price while Baoshan Iron and Steel already announced price hike for domestic market for January-March.