China's Guangzhou Lianzhong Stainless Steel Corp. (Lisco) has set up pilot runs of its meltshop scheduled in coming months. Yet one LISCO's official stressed "trial runs" only, when to run in full capacity will depend on market demand.

In view of the market weak demand due to the holidays for Christmas and New Year plus the Chinese Lunar New Year on the corner, China's stainless mills kept January's new opening price unchanged, but a price hike around US$100/mt effected by Yusco all the same to reflect the average December high cost of nickel.

China's No.1 stainless mill, Tisco (Taiyuan Iron & Steel Co.) has also announced to carefully and definitely control their capacity in a bid never to oversupply the market. Now there's coming some alliance in the works under discussion among the big stainless producers in China and Asia to collectively cut market supplies with an aim to shore up market prices. Maybe, some big steel makers can make some kind-of alliance one another called "STEELPEC" like "OPEC" does!