Flats: Vietnam’s import market for commercial-grade hot-rolled coil was slow in October, but the planned sales volume of local steel mills in Vietnam saw an increase alongside price cuts.

Longs: The Southeast Asian rebar import market has weakened over the past October due to market uncertainty. Buying interest waned as bearish sentiment in the market increased.

Semis: The ASEAN billet market saw limited activity in billet offers in early October, and overall import demand has remained stable over the past month. A cargo of Iranian 3sp, 4sp and 5sp billet, which was awarded at $477/t fob Iran, was available in ASEAN during the first week of October. But Thai buyers are targeting $490-495/t cfr. 

Raw Materials: In the latest Kanto tender, which opened on 12 October, Toyota Tsusho Material was awarded 15,000t of Japanese H2 grade scrap at JPY 50,236/t ($337/t) fas. This is JPY 1,080/t lower than the association’s last tender on 12 September. The cargo is destined for Bangladesh again, market sources said. The cargo is priced at around $349/t fob and around $399/t cfr Chittagong, they estimate. Meanwhile, leading EAF operator Tokyo Steel’s H2 buying price remains at JPY 51,000/t at its Utsunomiya steelworks. This is unchanged since 13 September. 

Country Trade Data:

• Singapore
• Thailand
• Philippines
• Malaysia
• Indonesia
• Vietnam

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