Weak Plate Price in Tokyo

Plate steel market price is weak at around 95,000-100,000 yen per tonne for standard sized product with 19 millimeters thick, 5 feet width and 10 feet length and around 110,000 yen for cut processed materials around Tokyo. The price is likely to decrease more due to very slow demand for building activity by private sector along with ongoing inventory adjustment by the dealers.

The plate shearing processors’ order receipt decreases since mid-August while the order was relative firm for ongoing building activities. The processors are expected to keep very slow operation rate when order to the users of steel structural fabricators is expected not to increase until as early as year end.

Domestic integrated steel makers’ selling price is estimated to be less than 90,000 yen per tonne for distributors. However, the price is much higher than 70,000 yen by Tokyo Steel Manufacturing. Some processors get order for cut processed materials at around 100,000 yen by using lower priced materials when the buyers try to decrease the procurement cost.