China’s H-beam producers fully booked for November shipment

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“We have finished our export business for November shipment,” a sales official with Laiwu Steel said.

The prevailing export price for boron-containing, small and medium-sized H-beam was $570 per tonne fob for November shipment, unchanged from last week.

Prices for December shipment will be decided after China’s National Day holiday, the Laiwu Steel official added.

Another major H-beam producer in north China is also in a similar situation.

“We are fully booked for November shipment, but have not set prices for December shipment yet,” a sales manager with Jinxi Steel said.

The export volume for November shipment has been higher than those in previous months, he noted.

Whether producers will push up export prices for December shipment depends on the movement of domestic prices in October.

China’s domestic H-beam prices remained steady this week.

In Shanghai, prices of 200x200mm H-beam were at 3,550-3,580 yuan ($560-565) per tonne on Thursday September 27, unchanged from Wednesday, but 10 yuan per tonne higher than a week ago.