Strong Stainless Steel Plate Price in Tokyo

The market price is strong at 500,000 yen per tonne for SUS304 grade hot cut plate and at 600,000 yen for plate mill products around Tokyo. Stainless steel plate supply is tightening worldwide and Japanese domestic price is also increasing.

The world demand is active for industrial equipment such as energy related investment, chemical tanker, liquid natural gas plant and large desalination plant. The supply is expected keeping tight mainly for plate mill products because the demand keeps high level.

The demand is also active in Japan for export, domestic plant investment by the paper makers or vacuum chamber. Domestic supply maintains tight as well.

The distributors’ plate sales exceeded 12,000 tonnes in October, the highest level since February 2003, according to domestic processors association. The inventory rapidly decreased to 2.8 months of shipment, which was around 4 months before.