Chinese flat-steel export prices soften as overseas supply disruptions persist

According to Mysteel, Chinese hot-rolled coil and plate FOB prices each declined by $1 per metric tonne, to $498/t and $536/t, respectively. Global trading remained subdued as inquiries from Southeast Asia and the Middle East weakened and buyers stayed cautious. Nevertheless, Chinese HRC was quoted at $610–615/t CFR UAE and $630–635/t CFR Saudi Arabia’s west coast.

• Mysteel said POSCO’s 120-hour partial strike ran from September 16 to September 21, affecting the Pohang No. 2 and Gwangyang No. 4 hot-rolling mills; it was described as the company’s first production-line strike in 58 years.
• Mysteel reported that a September 12 fire at Nakayama Steel’s Osaka facility temporarily halted hot-rolled coil and plate lines.
• Mysteel reported that Japan’s July steel exports fell 5.3% year on year, including an 18.3% decline in hot-rolled coil exports.
• The US average HRC price reached $1,240 per short ton, up $15 week on week, according to Mysteel, amid extremely tight supply.
• Mysteel said Turkey’s EU export quota was consumed rapidly at the outset under the bloc’s new safeguard measures.

Outlook: Monitor whether Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern inquiries recover, whether disrupted South Korean and Japanese production normalizes, and whether persistent US tightness or EU quota constraints redirect flat-steel trade flows. Chinese export prices may remain under pressure if transaction volumes stay weak.