- China stainless scrap demand remain sluggish
- Flats market softens slightly on thin trading activity
SteelDaily: Stainless steel prices in China recorded mixed price movements in the week ended 5 December, with long product prices holding steady while flat product prices recorded a marginal fall amid slow downstream demand and cautious buying. The flats segment showed slight weakness, particularly for hot-rolled material.
304 HRC prices stood at RMB 12,250/t ($1733/t), up RMB 100/t ($14/t) w-o-w, while the distribution price of 304 CRC remained unchanged from pervious week at RMB 13,300/t ($1881/t).
The distribution price of 430 cold rolled coils fell by RMB 50/t ($7/t) from previous week to RMB 7,500/t ($1061/t).
Despite stable mill quotes, real trading activity remained thin, with buyers continuing to procure cautiously.
Raw material market trends
Nickel pig iron (NPI): NPI prices remained flat on the week, supported by steady stainless steel production and balanced ore inventories. Producers maintained disciplined output, preventing significant downside despite lukewarm demand from the 300-series segment .
Ferro chrome: Prices of high-carbon ferro chrome from Inner Mongolia held steady at RMB 8,000-8,100/t ($1,132-1,146/t) as domestic smelters operated at stable rates. Demand from stainless steel mills remained moderate, keeping the market in a narrow range without any strong upward drivers.
However, upward pressure on prices is expected to be limited in the near term, with some smelters in South Africa expected to restart operations and new facilities in China expected to be built in the first quarter of 2026.
China stainless steel scrap market: Scrap demand remained weak, with mills relying more on primary feedstocks and maintaining comfortable inventories. Spot activity stayed thin, and traders reported slow movement across major grades. Industrial scrap 304 were remained stable, hovering around RMB 8,550-8,650/t in Tianjin. Scrap 201 prices rose by RMB 30-40/t ($/t), primarily in South China, 316 scrap remained flat at RMB 16-700-16,800/t ($/t).
Note: This article has been written in accordance with a content exchange agreement between SteelDaily and BigMint.
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