Firm Plate Price in Tokyo

Plate steel market price is firm with strong tone at around 120,000 yen per tonne for standard sized products with 19 millimeters thick, 5 feet width and 10 feet length and at around 140,000 yen for cut processed materials at dealers’ sites around Tokyo. Dealers try to raise reselling price to reflect higher purchase price after makers’ price hike. Nippon Steel and Chubu Steel Plate increase the selling price by 10,000 yen for August orders. Some shearing processors try to raise reselling price by 5,000 yen per tonne to secure processing charges.The demand is expanding from shipbuilding, construction machinery and export. Large building constructions are increasing in Japan. On the other hand, plate supply would keep the same volume within fiscal 2008 ending March 2009. The supply and demand is expected to keep tight situation. However, medium- and low-rise building constructions are slow. Dealers’ plate shipment is slow, too. Meanwhile the market inventory is gradually decreasing when the supply is reduced by about 20% year-on-year in and after April.