Flat steel import prices remained stable during the past week in South America as market participants were waiting to see if price increases from China and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region would truly materialize.
Fastmarkets assessed South American hot-rolled coil import prices at $525-540 per tonne cfr on Friday February 8, the same as a week before. Cold-rolled coil prices remained at $560-575 per tonne cfr, and hot-dipped galvanized prices also were unchanged at $590-600 per tonne cfr.Heavy plate was again the most illiquid material during the week, as demand was still sluggish in the region. Fastmarkets assessed the plate import price at $535-550 per tonne cfr on February 8, stable since early December 2018.Before heading into the Lunar New Year, celebrated February 4-10, Chinese steel mills announced price increases in a...