Posco has decided to lift domestic prices of its austenitic hot rolled and cold rolled coil for February deliveries by KRW 100,000/tonne ($87/t). But it will hold its ferritic stainless HRC and CRC prices again for the coming month, Steel Business Briefing learns from company.    不銹鋼鋼板 不锈钢板stainless steel sheet

   Posco’s new prices for grade 304 HRC (2-3mm) will be KRW 3.15m/t ($2,736/t), while its price for 304 CRC (2mm) will be KRW 3.42m/t ($2,970/t). Its price for 430 HRC will remain at KRW 1.79m/t ($1,554/t) and that for CRC will be kept at KRW 2.17m/t ($1,885/t). Both have remained unchanged since last September.  
亞洲不銹鋼板 亚洲不锈钢板 stainless steel sheet Asia 
  International nickel prices are presently hovering around $18,000/t, an increase of 15% compared with $16,000/t in mid-December, Posco says. Thus, to offset the rise the stainless price increase this time should be around KRW 200-250,000/t ($174-217/t), it says.     台灣不銹鋼扁鐵 台湾不锈钢扁鐵 stainless steel flat bar Taiwan

   But Korea’s current stainless steel market is still inactive so Posco will gradually increase prices over the coming months, it adds. The mill also says that Chinese and Taiwanese mills have lifted their January prices by 6-10% on higher input costs. It expects European mills will also raise the surcharge prices of 304 grade stainless by 19%. 

   Meanwhile, Posco is planning to cut its sales volume of stainless by about 10,000 tonnes in February. The fewer working days next month due to Lunar New Year’s day and the 8-day maintenance period planned at its Pohang works are behind of the reduction of the sales target, SBB learns from market sources.  

   Posco aims to sell 126,000 t in total, including 70,000 t of HRC, 50,000 t of CRC and 5,000 t of plates.


Source : SBB