FLAT PRODUCTS

摘要

business is conducted in the industrialised countries during August. Accordingly, we do not undertake price investigations. We take the opportunity to review the trends over the past twelve months in this issue. HOT ROLLED COIL AND PLATE From July last year through to May 2004, transaction prices of hot rolled coil and quarto plate in the US climbed steadily as alloy surcharges soared. Consumption of strip at the start of the assessment period was rather weak but, by November, customers were forced to restock. Delivery lead times began to stretch early in 2004. The quarto plate market was in a poor state through to the turn of the year when a number of new projects in the paper and petro chemical sectors started up. Producers were unable to lift agreed basis values of both hot rolled products until the first quarter. Discounts were cut further for period two, by which time, there was considerable supply side tightness. Currently, coil business is brisk. Wide plate availability is particularly restricted and supply lead times extended.