Japan: Nippon Steel raises stainless steel prices for Mar’26 contracts amid rising input costs

• Rising raw material, labour, logistics costs prompt decision
• Demand from semiconductor manufacturing sector recovers

Japan Metal Daily: Nippon Steel announced an increase in base prices for stainless steel products for March shipment contracts, marking the first base price revision in nearly two years. The move aims to reflect elevated raw material prices and rising production costs, including labour, logistics, and energy expenses.

Under the revision, the base price of chromium-based stainless steel cold-rolled sheets will increase by JPY 10,000/t ($62/t), while nickel-based stainless steel cold-rolled sheets and medium-thick plates will rise by JPY 5,000/t ($31/t). The company noted that the adjustments reflect higher input costs as well as rising fixed manufacturing expenses.

In addition, Nippon Steel plans a separate and significant price increase of around 20% for spring-grade materials, which require higher strength and involve greater manufacturing load compared with general stainless steel grades. Negotiations with customers for these products are expected to begin soon.

For nickel-based stainless steel products, the final selling price will also incorporate the alloy surcharge linked to nickel prices on the London Metal Exchange. With the latest adjustment, the final sales price of nickel-based cold-rolled stainless steel will increase by JPY 20,000/t ($125/t), including an alloy surcharge rise of JPY 15,000/t ($94/t) and the base price hike of JPY 5,000/t ($31/t).

The company noted that the cost increase varies between nickel- and chromium-based grades, partly due to differences in slab production locations and input cost structures at its manufacturing facilities.

Despite overall stainless steel demand in Japan remaining relatively stable, the company highlighted signs of recovery in demand from the semiconductor manufacturing equipment sector, which has recently shown stronger activity.

At the same time, Nippon Steel raised concerns over rising import volumes entering Japan from countries not currently subject to anti-dumping investigations. The company said it is closely monitoring port entry trends and warned that it may pursue trade relief measures if unfair export practices are confirmed.

Note: This article has been written in accordance with a content exchange agreement between Japan Metal Daily and BigMint.