Indonesia Tsingshan again raised its 304 stainless steel export prices by US$15 per ton yesterday (March 26), totaling a US$65 increase this month. This move appeared as Indonesia weighed new export taxes for nickel and coal. Therefore, Taiwan’s steel mills expect higher list prices for April due to these mounting raw material costs.

Most domestic steel manufacturers rely on imported 304 hot-rolled black coils for processing rather than self-smelting. Although sales remained steady in March, firms worry that passing these higher expenses to downstream buyers will dampen April orders. Mills plan to monitor market demand closely before finalizing their next procurement volumes from Indonesia to manage potential inventory risks.