East Asia's stainless steel market continued to strengthen despite persistently soft regional demand due to nickel prices remaining at high levels.
Metal Bulletin's assessment of prices for benchmark 304 stainless 2mm trimmed cold-rolled coil was $2,170-2,300 per tonne cif East Asian ports for the week ended Wednesday April 25, up $20-70 per tonne from a week earlier. Metal Bulletin's assessment of prices for benchmark 304 stainless trimmed hot-rolled sheet was $2,150-2,220 per tonne cif East Asian ports for the same period, up $10-50 per tonne week on week.Transactions involving stainless untrimmed CRC from a major mill in northwest China were concluded at $2,200-2,250 per tonne fob, sources said. That price is equivalent to around $2,250-2,300 per tonne cif for the trimmed product that Metal Bulletin assesses.Stainless untrimmed CRC from smaller, private mills in China were also sold during the week, albeit at lower prices of $2,130-2,180 per tonne fob. For stainless untrimmed hot-rolled coil, bookings were...