Steel Plate Market Price Keeps Flat with Potential Increase

Steel plate market price keeps flat with potential increase at around 80,000 yen per tonne for standard sized products with 19 millimeters thick, 5 feet width and 10 feet length and at 95,000-100,000 yen per tonne for processed plate. There seems below 95,000 yen for processed plate at some dealers.Steel plate demand keeps the high level in Japan. Japanese steel plate makers will enter seasonal refinement for October-December. Shearing processor source is concerned the supply might become as tight as 2004. On the other hand, the demand for construction has not improved even in autumn as expected when the schedules of large building construction are delayed.The steel plate inventory decreased to above 450,000 tonnes at the end of July, the lowest level in a year and 9 months, according to Japan Steel Plate Shearing Industrial Guild. Tokyo Steel Manufacturing seems to start large shipment of steel plate at the beginning of 2007. However, the supply and demand could keep the balance thanks to the strong demand from manufacturing industries. The market price would maintain brisk.