Tokyo Steel to keep product prices unchanged in November

Tokyo Steel Manufacturing Co Ltd 5423.T, Japan’s top electric-arc furnace steelmaker, said on Monday it will hold steel product prices steady in November to ensure the market has hit bottom.

In October, the company cut prices for all of its steel products, including its main H-shaped beams. This was the first time since April 2020 that prices for all steel products were reduced.

For November, prices for steel bars, including rebar, will remain at 88,000 yen ($587) a metric ton while H-shaped beams will stay at 115,000 yen a ton.

Domestic demand for building materials remains generally weak, while demand for steel sheets continues to be sluggish due to a slow recovery in automobile demand and weak cargo movements in the construction sector, the company said in a statement.

However, it added that imported steel products, which have been a key factor in driving down the market, have seen a sharp rise in offer prices to Japan in certain sectors.

Tokyo Steel’s pricing is closely watched by Asian rivals such as South Korea’s Posco 005490.KS and Hyundai Steel 004020.KS, and China’s Baoshan Iron & Steel (Baosteel) 600019.SS.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)