Firm Plate Price in Tokyo

Plate steel market price is firm at around 80,000 yen per tonne for standard size with 19 millimeters thick, 5 feet width and 10 feet length and at more than 95,000 yen for cut plate around Tokyo. The price could keep firm when the supply is expected to become tighter. The demand is firm for construction and industrial machinery along with recovering demand for bridge. However, with delay of major projects, the demand is slower than shearing processors expected. Some domestic makers plan maintenance in October-December and plate delivery delayed. Some sources said the delivery is on tight rope and some deliveries were on time when Japanese steel makers didn’t ship shipbuilding plate for South Korea. Some shearing processors try to increase the cut plate price. However, the market price as a whole is still keeping the level when building demand, which represents major part of distributors’ market, is still slow.