Steel Sheet Price Keeps Flat in Tokyo

The market price is flat at 65,000-67,000 yen per tonne for hot-rolled steel sheet, at 75,000-77,000 yen per tonne for pickled steel sheet and at 80,000-81,000yen per tonne for cold-rolled steel sheet in Tokyo.The demand is stable for automobile, electronic appliance and steel furniture. Coil center source said processing volume keeps firm. However, the trading is not active among wholesalers yet under the influence of purchase integration by large contract users.Some coil centers seek price hike, concerned about worse profitability due to increase of cost price and order increase for middle thickness sheet with 6-12 millimeters thick.However, some sources are concerned whether they could raise reselling prices when Japanese inventory of hot-rolled, cold-rolled and coated sheet steel still stays at over 4 million tonnes at makers, distributors and processors.