Steel Plate Price Maintains Flat in Tokyo

The market price of steel plate maintains flat with potential decrease in Tokyo. The price is around 80,000 yen per tonne for products with 19 millimeters of thickness, 5 feet of width and 10 feet of length. The price is kept flat even with few orders and the easy supply, when dealers aim to sustain the present price level.The supply of material plate for shearing is easy in the market, when the orders are few at dealers and makers’ delivery lead time recovered to around a month of the normal level. On the other hand, the inventory at Japanese shearing processors is gradually decreasing, according to the Japan Steel Plate Shearing Industrial Guild.The inventory ratio to shipment is below 150% and dealers have less feeling that their inventories are surplus in Tokyo area than other regions. Additionally Japanese steel plate makers aim to maintain the present price level. Dealers consider the market price would not turn to decrease due to the easy supply or the decline of makers’ selling prices.The demand is stagnant for material plate and processed plate since the end of January. It is unlikely to recover much in February. The price could sustain the present level as long as makers keep their selling prices.