- POSCO’s price freeze for Dec’25 limits short-term volatility
- Market likely to remain quiet amid soft regional demand
SteelDaily: Asia’s stainless steel market entered December on a subdued note, with trading activity remaining slow amid year-end inventory pressures and weak demand across domestic and overseas markets. Despite price adjustments by some mid-to-large distributors, overall volatility stayed limited, supported by POSCO’s decision to freeze December shipment prices.
Domestic distributors reported sluggish sales as buyers refrained from pre-emptive purchasing ahead of year-end financial closures. The strong won-dollar exchange rate further restricted appetite, keeping most market participants in wait-and-watch mode.
In South Korea, 304 cold-rolled coil (CRC) prices hovered around KRW 3.3-3.4 million/t ($2,240-2,320/t), though actual transactions were limited. Imported coils were heard at KRW 2.9-2.95 million/t ($1,975-2,010/t), while GS CR hovered close to KRW 2.95-3 million/t ($2,005-2,040/t), indicating a tight price gap and stiff import competition.
Across China, stainless steel prices remained flat, with Tisco’s Wuxi 304 CR steady at RMB 13,300/t. Weakness in key inputs — nickel pig iron and ferro chrome — continued to exert downward pressure. Asian 304 CR were assessed at $1,800-1,880/t CIF, reflecting thin trading and typical year-end seasonality.
Market participants expect the quiet trend to persist, with December likely to remain muted due to both domestic and global demand softness.
Note: This article has been written in accordance with a content exchange agreement between SteelDaily and BigMint.
Leave a Reply