Whether China’s stainless steel CR market could regain its strength since May, is the main focus for Japan stainless steel mills.

Japan’s stainless steel CR producers are seeking to increase prices by US$100-200/ton in June to July and keep raising the export price as raw material cost are up in tandem with global SS price rises.

But buyers are expected to adopt a wait-and-see attitude, as to whether China’s market will remain weak. Then Japan will find it hard to negotiate new export prices with buyers in the Asia market.

China’s main stainless steel producers have announced that that its output will be reduced by 50 percent in May in order to stabilize the market.