Higher demand for Chinese HRC offset with production ramp-up
China / Flat Products
Prices for Chinese HRC are practically unmoved in both domestic and export market at mid-July. Market insiders report
improved demand, but higher production rates restrain prices.
Exporters have somewhat stepped up sales in the first half of July on the back of low prices and trading companies in
SE Asia, the Middle East and Europe striving to stock up before end-users resume purchases. Over the week, international
traders have managed to sell several 20,000-tonne batches of Chinese SS400 HRC made to JIS G3101 to Vietnam
alone. However, the price was minimal, $518/t CFR ($503/t FOB). There have been enquiries from European traders, for
whom long delivery from China currently works just fine. Contracts
with Italian buyers have been signed at EUR 415-420/t CFR ($505-515/t FOB).
Demand in the home market has picked up as well, so some
companies are not hurrying to offer export material for September
shipment.
We will probably quote at $515/t FOB next week. We will
not discount in deals because there is plenty of orders from local
traders and end-users, a large mill Chengde Steel tells Metal Expert.
Still, most market players are sceptical about prices going forward
in July. Oversupply will be the first to stand in the
way of an increase. Many steel mills are ramping
up production rates on the back of good margins
in order to make as much money as they can while
inputs are low. By early July, an average margin
in HRC sales was RMB 242/t ($39/t), while that in
rebar sales is roughly RMB 24/t ($4/t), Chinese
analysts estimate. On top of that, almost all
producers completed repairs back in June, which
has added to higher production as well.
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