Cut Plate Price Seems to Drop around Tokyo

Cut plate market price is decreasing around Tokyo. Is is difficult for dealers to offer above 100,000 yen per tonne. The market price is 95,000-100,000 yen per tonne while some dealers offer around 90,000 yen. Dealers are concerned the market price might drop more due to low demand.

The demand stays low from building materials, construction machines and industrial machines. The demand volume seems to have halved in the first half of fiscal 2009 (April-September) from a year earlier.

There are few new orders for shearing processors. Orders from steel framers have decreased since October though which had been relatively active with steel framers’ order backlogs. Investment maintains stagnant by both private and public sectors. Some dealer sources suppose the market couldn’t rebound before January-March.