Japan’s carbon steel sheet prices up $10/t, supply tighter

Japan’s dealer prices of carbon steel hot-rolled and cold-rolled sheets have both gained Yen 1,000/tonne ($10/t) on month due to the tightening in supply from the distributors, and buyers were forced to pay more to secure deliveries, according to sources in Tokyo and Nagoya in central Japan.

As of November 26, the SS400 grade 1.6 mm thick HR cut sheet (1,219x2,438mm) are transacted at around Yen 74,000/t around Tokyo, and those of the SPCC grade 1mm thick CR cut sheet (914x1,829mm) at Yen 81,000/t, both up Yen 1,000/t on month, sources confirmed.“Really aggressive bargains from the buyers have disappeared,” a distributor