|  | 18/08/2004 |
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Bull Plate Price and Slow Sheet Demand for Japan Stainless
Stainless steel plate price surges under tight supply while demand for stainless sheet slowed down since April in Japan. Stainless sheet price still keeps increasing with price hike pressure by makers though the tight supply situation already ended by June. Those prices are likely to have major increase after summer when nickel price surges again.
Stainless makers cannot meet all of orders, especially for distributors though they operate at full capacity both for plate and sheet. Demand side has different stories for plate and sheet.
Sheet demand slowed down since April due to seasonal factor and lower nickel price after speculative demand under expectation of higher price associated with surging nickel price until March.
Plate demand keeps very strong for chemical tanker and semiconductor equipment. The tight supply is not likely to ease even after October under limited supply capacity.
Stainless plate price surges and sheet price increases moderately when makers increase selling price aggressively to secure profitability under historical high of nickel price. Japanese top maker of Nippon Steel & Sumikin Stainless Steel increased selling price by 30,000 yen per tonne for 300 series sheet and by 40,000 yen for plate for July and August orders.
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 | Bull Plate Price and Slow Sheet Demand for Japan Stainless
| | Progress situation of medium term plan of JFE
| | Steel Plate/Sheet Price to Increase in Kansai
| | Order volume of steel bridge in fiscal 2003 is 495,169 tonnes
| | Ferrous scrap price is weak at 21,000 yen in Tokyo
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