WEEKLY: Tangshan billet prices mark time on week

Billet prices in Tangshan in North China's Hebei province fluctuated within a narrow band during September 14-20, with Mysteel assessing the price of Q235 150mm square billet in the city at Yuan 3,000/tonne ($447/t) EXW and including the 13% VAT on September 20, unchanged on week.

The largely stable billet price reflected the cautious stance among Tangshan steelmakers towards the near-term market as cost-side support was weakening. Coking coal and coke futures prices slumped last week, mainly reflecting mounting expectations for faster restarts of domestic coking coal mines after many have been suspended for safety checks,