【SMM Steel】Taiwan's Yieh Phui announced significant April domestic/May export price hikes. Galvanized steel rose NT$1,700/t, pre-painted NT$2,000/t domestically; exports up $50/t. It's the 4th straight month of hikes. Energy, freight, and raw material costs are soaring amid Middle East tensions. Major global mills also raised prices. Galvanized steel prices in Taiwan have surged nearly 20% since late Feb. Low-cost inventory is depleting. Global economy is expanding.
Apr 1, 2026 16:31【SMM Steel】Taiwan's CSC is returning to the domestic scrap market this April to boost production after raising HRC prices by NT$1,200. The move alarms local EAF mills, as CSC targets high-quality scrap already in short supply. Smaller mills fear CSC will exhaust domestic stocks, forcing them to buy expensive imported alternatives, raising concerns about operational costs and material access amid intensified competition.
Apr 1, 2026 16:31Yieh United Steel Corp. announced further price increases for April 2026, marking its fifth consecutive monthly hike since December 2025. The mill raised surcharges for 304 and 316L series by NT$4,000/ton, while the 430 series rose by NT$1,500/ton. The cumulative growth for 304 products has now reached NT$19,500 over five months. These adjustments are driven by soaring energy costs amid Middle East tensions and tight supplies of ferrochrome and scrap. Additionally, potential Indonesian nickel export duties and stricter ore controls have pushed NPI prices higher. Combined with TWD exchange rate volatility, these factors necessitated the hike to offset rising production expenses.
Apr 1, 2026 10:52According to market reports, a major Taiwanese stainless steel wire rod manufacturer announced its April price list on March 30, raising 304 series wire rods by approximately $125/mt (NT$4,000). The 316 series saw a steeper increase of $219/mt (NT$7,000), while the 200 and 400 series both rose by $63/mt (NT$2,000). This move aligns with recent price jumps from other leading regional mills. The company attributed the surge to Middle East instability driving up energy and raw material costs, specifically for nickel, chrome, and molybdenum. Furthermore, a weakening New Taiwan Dollar and potential Indonesian export taxes on nickel have intensified inflationary pressures, directly impacting overall production expenses.
Mar 31, 2026 19:36According to market reports, a leading stainless steel manufacturer in Taiwan has announced further price increases for its April products, marking a continuous upward trend since December 2025. The company raised its 304 series and 316L surcharges by approx. $125/mt (NT$4,000) and 430 series by $47/mt (NT$1,500). Over the past five months, the cumulative price growth for 304 products has reached $609/mt (NT$19,500). The mill attributed the hike to escalating Middle East conflicts driving up global energy costs, tightening supply chains for ferroalloys and scrap, and higher nickel pig iron prices due to proposed Indonesian export duties. Rising raw material expenses and fluctuating exchange rates have significantly increased overall production costs.
Mar 31, 2026 19:35Japanese electronics maker Kyocera has entered into reciprocal power purchase agreements ('PPAs') with Cosmo Energy Holdings. Starting next month, Kyocera will supply solar power from its assets to Cosmo Energy Solutions. In exchange, Kyocera will procure electricity from the 48 MW Nakaki wind farm operated by Cosmo Eco Power. The partnership aims to diversify their renewable portfolios and explore future collaborations in battery storage. This move follows Kyocera's recent agreement with Osaki Electric and Taiwan Plastics Group to jointly develop an 'AI'-based energy management system integrating solar generation and lithium iron phosphate battery storage, targeting a final contract by the end of this year.
Mar 30, 2026 17:43To better serve industrial clients and stay closer to the market, SMM is adding 6 new scrap copper price assessments for Japan/US regions, officially launching on 16/1/2026. 1. New Price Points Copper Scrap - East Asia - Japan Millberry CIF China - Japan Millberry CIF China Taiwan - Japan Millberry CIF Korea Copper Scrap - America - United States Millberry CIF Japan - United States No.1 Copper Material CIF Japan - United States No.2 Copper Material CIF Japan 2. SMM Price Methodology General Principles Shanghai Metals Market (hereinafter referred to as "SMM") is a completely independent third-party service provider that does not participate in any actual transactions. Instead, SMM maintains close communication with buyers and sellers as a market observer or organizer and provides related services to the market. This document sets forth the standards for SMM's East Asia and US scrap copper price assessments. The purpose of establishing these standards is to create a transparent and verifiable SMM price formation mechanism. 3. Formation of SMM East Asia and US Scrap Copper Price Assessments 3.1 Significance of the Assessments In recent years, Japan and the United States have continued to play important roles in the global scrap copper trading system. Their export prices for berry copper and copper scrap hold strong reference value for major Asian consumer markets. Due to differences in origin quality structure, trade flows, and regional demand, actual transaction prices vary across different destinations. To more accurately reflect the true price levels of Japanese and US scrap copper in cross-regional circulation, reduce information asymmetry risks, and help upstream and downstream enterprises more reasonably evaluate procurement costs and formulate trading strategies, SMM plans to add price points including Japan Berry Copper CIF China, Japan Berry Copper CIF South Korea, Japan Berry Copper CIF Taiwan China, US Berry Copper CIF Japan, US No.1 Copper CIF Japan, and US No.2 Copper CIF Japan. These will be collected according to a unified methodology and publicly released to the market for industry reference. SMM price members will be able to access relevant historical price data simultaneously. 3.2 SMM East Asia and US Scrap Copper Price Assessment Methodology 3.2.1 Product Specifications and Standards Currently, scrap copper reference standards follow ISRI standards. If changes occur, SMM will revise accordingly based on actual circumstances. 3.2.2 Price Terms Prices are CIF indicative prices, expressed as a coefficient (%) unit. 3.2.3 Payment Terms Prices reflect payment conditions including TT or other conventional payment methods. 3.2.4 Quote Format and Timing Quoted prices are in range format, showing minimum and maximum prices. For example: Japan Millberry CIF China: 97.5%-98%. New price points will be assessed weekly. SMM will publish prices on the website front page at 3:30 PM on the last day of each working week. 3.2.5 Data Collection Method According to the data collection confirmation agreement, SMM price analysts will regularly collect price information from scrap copper industry contacts in Japan through telephone, WeChat, email, and other methods. This price information includes completed transaction prices and the most likely anticipated transaction prices expected by the enterprise. All instant messaging content and any face-to-face communication records will be archived telephone communication details will be recorded and entered into the database. SMM analysts must comply with the Compliance System when reporting to their supervisors any coerced or threatened communications from market participants, or any inducements attempting to influence assessments. After price publication, SMM will not make corrections or adjustments on that day. 3.2.6 Data Standardization Although SMM has standardized definitions for our prices, market transactions exist in various forms. Each transaction price is influenced by numerous factors, including order size, material brand, delivery time, payment terms, etc. SMM will comprehensively consider market quotes, bids, and transaction information and align them with our standards. We welcome more relevant enterprises along the industry chain to participate in and support SMM in better serving scrap copper industry-related enterprises. For any questions, please contact us. Shanghai Metal Market Copper Department - Aw Yong Yi Cheong Contact: +6011-25798397 Email add: awyong.yicheong@smm.cn
PriceJan 12, 2026 15:35