Tokyo Steel Hikes H-Beam Price by 2,000 yen/t

Tokyo Steel Manufacturing announced on Tuesday the firm increases the selling price of structural steel products by 1,000-2,000 yen per tonne for distributors for July order, which the firm accepts until Thursday. The firm increases the H-beam price by 2,000 yen to 72,000 yen, which represents increases for 2 months in a row, when the price is lower than offshore price. The firm left the hot rolled coil price unchanged. The firm said the hot coil offer price is FOB US$ 620 per tonne for August shipment. The firm increases the price by 2,000 yen per tonne for U shaped sheet pile, H-beam, checkered H-beam, I-beam and channel for July order. The firm also increases the actual transaction price of wire rod by 2,000 yen while the firm left the concrete reinforcing steel bar price unchanged. The firm said Japanese H-beam price is lower than C&F US$ 740 per tonne of Korean export price to Middle East. The firm increases the selling price by 2,000 yen per tonne for hot-dip galvanizing flat steel and by 1,000 yen for checkered plate coil for July order. The firm left other flat products price unchanged. The firm said the firm keeps watching market condition to hike the price of hot coil and pickling coil though the offshore market price is firm under firm demand and higher raw materials cost. The firm will reduce the output by around 20% in and after July due to summer time maintenance during higher electricity cost period. The firm said the output reduction is wider than usual when the firm plans construction work of plate production facilities at Kyushu plant to start operation in January 2007. The firm produced 100,000 tonnes of hot coil including 50,000 tonnes for export shipment and less than 160,000 tonnes of H-beam in May compared with 60,000 tonnes and 130,000 tonnes respectively in April. The firm expects domestic steel demand will keep firm toward demand season of autumn when delayed private building projects started to move forward. The firm estimates the domestic steel price will keep firm due to the cheaper level than offshore price under firm demand at home and abroad.