Graph
1:
Q235
6.5mm wire rod price trend in March 2009
Graph
2:
HRB335 20mm rebar price trend in
March 2009
Graph
3: China construction steel output and yearly growth in 2008-2009
Graph
4: Cumulative output of China bar & rebar and wire rod for 2008-2009
Graph
5: Daily production of China bar & rebar and wire rod in 2008-2009
Graph
6: China bear & rebar and wire rod import in 2008-2009
Graph
7: China bar & rebar and wire rod export in 2008-2009
Graph
8: China billet/slab import/export in 2008-2009
Graph
9: China bar & rebar and wire rod supply and growth in 2008-2009
Graph
10: Cumulative supply of China bear & rebar and wire rod in 2008-2009
Graph
11: China township fixed-asset investment in 2008-2009
Graph
12: Investment in real estate industry in 2008-2009
Graph
13: Wire rod and rebar market inventory in 2008-2009
Graph
14: China domestic Money Supply in 2008-2009
Monthly Report on China Iron Ore Market for March 2009
China
iron ore price went down as much as 70-100 yuan per ton in March. Local
mines showed that current iron concentrates price in domestic market had
tumbled to cost, they had to slash delivery. Steel mills relied on
previous imports.
Due to
shrinking purchase, iron ore export quotation dipped persistently by US$
14-15 to US$ 64-65 per ton (CIF) for 63.5 Pct Indian ore. Starting from
April, steel mills intended to lower purchasing price of domestic ore to
make it flat with import one. However, due to low operating rate of
mines, steel mills argued that it’s difficult to pull iron ore price
down further and held that iron concentrates price in April
will maintain at low level.
I
domestic iron ore market kept falling in March
II market analysis on iron ore market in April
II.1 Newly additions at domestic market to decline in April
II.2 Iron ore price at ports plunged as a whole
II.3 Ocean freight edged down
II.4 Iron ore inventory at ports climbed up enormously
II.5 China domestic steel price corrected at low level
II.6 FY 2009 international iron ore contract price talk is underway
II.7
Steel mills held wait-and-see attitude due to high expectation on the
falling iron ore price
Table 1: China iron ore price of Apr.2008-Feb.2009
Table2:
Steel Price Changes at domestic market (Taking Shanghai market as an
example)
Graph1:
China iron ore price trend in 2008-Mar.2009
Graph2:
China iron ore output and import contrast in 2008-Feb.2009
Graph3:
Price contrast between domestic and imported ore in 2008-Mar.2009
Graph4:
International ocean freight trend in 2008-Mar.2009
Graph5:
China iron ore import and inventory at ports in 2008-Mar.2009
Monthly Report on China Scrap Market for March 2009
In March, China scrap market weltered in downward spiral. Generally
speaking, two factors caused the downturn in scrap market: one is
sluggish domestic demand. A lot of small EAF-based steelmakers halted
production in succession, and large-and-medium steelmakers mainly
consumed scrap inventories in their warehouses. The other is
steelmakers’ preference to international scrap market. On the decline of
scrap price in international market, Chinese steelworks expanded the
orders from overseas scrap suppliers, so as to offset the supply tension
of domestic-produced scrap.
I Review on China scrap market of March 2009
I.1 Domestic scrap price in downtrend
I.2
Steelmakers’ scrap inventory & purchasing price adjustment
I.23 International scrap price declined
II Outlook on domestic scrap market in April 2009
II.1
Scrap supply in China to loosen
II.2
Scrap imports to trend up
II.3
Domestic scrap demand in lackluster
II.4
International scrap demand warm up
II.5
Related products price to decline
Table1: Scrap price adjustment of key steel mills in March (yuan per
ton)
Graph1: HMS price in China main markets in March 2009
Graph2: Price comparison: HMS VS rebar in China in March 2009
Graph3: China scrap consumption & inventory in Jan. 2009
Graph4: Japan HMS average price in March 2009
Graph5: China scrap import volume & price in Feb.2009
Graph6: China scrap import price in March 2009
Graph7: China iron-to-steel ratio VS scrap price in Feb.2009