Posted on 24 Dec 2025
Non-Chinese hot rolled coil suppliers are stepping up their sales efforts amid ongoing uncertainty over Chinese export licence renewals. Over the past week, several buyers booked sizeable volumes of Indian HRC, while Japan’s JFE — a non-traditional supplier in the region — actively tested the market with end-of-February or early-March load readiness, earlier than Nippon Steel’s March shipment, Kallanish reports.
Towards the end of last week and into this week, an east coast Indian mill sold around 30,000 tonnes of various grades and thicknesses of 2,000mm-wide (multiple structural grades) HRC average effective at $495-500/t, equivalent to roughly $485/t for 1,219mm width base-grade material. Separately, a west coast Indian producer secured multiple customers via a trading firm at around $490/t for base-grade HRC (1,219mm width S235JR, 2mm+ thick). Shipment is scheduled for end-January, allowing delivery before mid-February (see separate story).
A trading company marketing Japanese JFE material is attempting to secure cargoes after missing a shipload deal for Bangladesh. Initial offers were quoted at $500/t for 2mm SAE 1006, though buyer feedback suggests that workable levels are closer to $480-485/t for end-of-February shipment. A firm bid of $470/t for a parcel exceeding 30,000t from a pipe producer was rejected by the supplier.
On the Chinese front, a top-tier mill trimmed its offer to $508/t for 2mm SAE 1006, while tier-one suppliers continue quoting $490-495/t for base-grade SS400/S235JR (2.8mm and above) for late-February loading. Thinner-gauge material, with 1.2mm SPHT-1, is still offered at $545/t for end-of-January shipment.
If otherwise not stated, all prices are based on cfr (liner out) Dammam, Saudi, and Jebel Ali, Abu Dhabi UAE ports.
Source:Kallanish
