Asian Scrap Markets

SMU’s latest ferrous scrap report from Damon Sun of Daido International shows heavy melt scrap holding firm at $350/mt.  Scrap imports from the US to Taiwan appear to be on hold.

He reports recently selling 5000mt at $343/mt CFR Taichung.  Kaoshiung was buying late last week at $348/mt but then stopped buying. Scrap from Thailand was selling at $345/mt containerized EX Latin and South American.

Thai mills seem anxious to import billets at this time.  

Depending on who you ask scrap prices are either up +2 or down -2 this week.

Korea recently forced Japan to lower H2 prices -5 from previous deals which resulted in Japan selling Taiwan scrap at $355-357 via barge (cheaper discharge).  

The expectation is that the market will increase at the tail of August as mill maintenance and summer electricity curtailments end in September for Korea and Taiwan.

A negative, but mostly psychological, overhang is China billet quotes in the Far East.  The prices quoted are very low but so are the actual transactions and inspection capabilities.  The psychological effect of the low price offers keeps negotiating power in the hands of steel buyers vs. steel mills.