Tang Eng Iron Works has issued flat prices for its July stainless steel products, snapping a seven-month streak of consecutive price increases. The decision covers its main 304 hot-rolled and cold-rolled coils as well as 316L surcharges, aligning with major upstream peers Yusco and Walsin Lihwa, which also rolled over their rates yesterday, keeping both sheet products and wire rods steady across the industry. The move marks a temporary pause to seven months of sustained price increases, bringing a period of stability to Chinese Taiwan's domestic stainless steel market.

On July 2, total rebar inventory this week was 659.54 mt, up 169,800 mt WoW, or 2.64% WoW, and up 25.38% YoY on a lunar calendar basis; wire rod mill inventory was 880,300 mt, up 25,600 mt WoW, or 3.0% WoW, and up 65.26% YoY on a lunar calendar basis.

Walsin Lihwa has issued flat pricing for its July stainless steel wire rods, ending seven consecutive months of price increases, with 200, 300, and 400 series products all held unchanged, mirroring Yusco's decision to freeze prices for the month. A stronger US dollar has pressured metal markets, weighing on key raw materials such as nickel and stainless steel scrap. Offsetting factors include rising ferromolybdenum costs and peak summer electricity rates, which continue to add financial pressure on manufacturing operations. Balancing these conflicting cost dynamics against customer needs, Walsin Lihwa opted for a stable pricing approach to safeguard buyers' market competitiveness.

During the survey period (June 23–June 29), the production and capacity utilization rates of rebar and wire rod in Central China remained stable.

Vedanta-owned Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO) highlighted the importance of its aluminium wire rod business in supporting India’s power transmission, distribution and infrastructure sectors. Produced at BALCO’s Korba facility in Chhattisgarh, the electrical-grade aluminium wire rods are supplied to cable and conductor manufacturers for use in power lines, electrical networks and industrial applications. The company offers both conductor-grade and specialty alloy wire rods for applications ranging from building cables to high-voltage transmission systems. As India continues expanding its power grid and renewable energy capacity, demand for aluminium conductors and cables is expected to grow steadily. BALCO’s integrated production model, covering alumina, primary aluminium and finished wire rods, helps ensure product quality and supply stability. However, the business remains exposed to fluctuations in aluminium prices, energy costs and competition from domestic and international suppliers.

Walsin Lihwa expects Q2 earnings to substantially surpass Q1, with over NT$3.5 billion in gains from selling shares of Winbond and Walton Advanced Engineering set to be recognized in the quarter, contributing more than NT$0.8 per share. Q1 net profit reached NT$3.58 billion, up 428% YoY at NT$0.81 per share. May revenue rose 12.4% MoM to a one-year high of NT$17.46 billion (+11.13% YoY), driven by seven consecutive months of stainless steel price hikes including a NT$3,000/ton increase for 304 wire rods in June. Separately, rising international copper and nickel prices combined with heavy foreign investment drove the company's stock to its NT$37.7 daily limit last Friday (June 12).

[Announcement on Ansteel and Bensteel Group's July 2026 Domestic Futures Selling Price Adjustments for Sheets & Plates in China] Ansteel’s price policy for July 2026, adjusted based on the June 2026 price policy, is as follows: 1. Hot-rolled: flat. 2. Pickled: flat. Automotive steel: flat. 3. Cold-rolled: flat. Automotive steel: flat. Additionally: Anshen high-strength wire grades 590MPa, 780MPa, 980MPa, and 1180MPa: flat. 4. Hard cold-rolled: flat. 5. Galvanized: flat. 6. Non-oriented silicon steel: flat. 7. Color-coated: flat. 8. Medium-thickness plates: flat. 9. Wire rods: flat. 10. Rebar: flat. 11. Alloy surcharges: please refer to the price list. Marketing Center of Ansteel Co., Ltd. June 11, 2026 Bensteel Group’s price policy for July 2026, adjusted based on the June 2026 price policy, is as follows: 1. Hot-rolled: flat. 2. Pickled: flat. Automotive steel: flat. 3. Cold-rolled: flat. Automotive steel: flat. 4. Hard cold-rolled: flat. 5. Galvanized: flat. 6. Electrogalvanization: flat. 7. Non-oriented silicon steel: flat. 8. Wire rods: flat. 9. Rebar: flat. 10. Special steel: flat. 11. Alloy surcharges: please refer to the price list. Bensteel Plate Marketing Center and Beiying Business Center June 11, 2026

During the survey period (June 2–June 8), operating rates of rebar and coiled rebar rolling lines in Central China held steady, while capacity utilization edged down.

[SMM Analysis] Steel billet sees notable YoY increase, while UAE’s decline hits a new low By product: Steel billet’s increase remains impressive, mainly because previous geopolitical conflicts caused periodic logistical bottlenecks and surging insurance premiums in major billet and slab production areas at some local Middle East EAF mills and BF-based plants. Overseas billet supply faced a vacuum period, directly pushing global buyers to launch massive inquiries with China. Purchasing sentiment strengthened notably in Southeast Asia in particular. According to SMM’s order-taking survey, exports are expected to stay high in the short term. It is also worth noting that Vietnam’s anti-dumping duties on China’s HRC will be implemented on April 17. As a result, total HRC exports to Vietnam in April increased compared with March, driven by a final rush to front-load shipments before the deadline. Exports are expected to pull back again in May. Data Source: SMM, General Administration of Customs By country: Djibouti’s increase topped the list. Its product mix chart clearly shows that HRC (42%) and steel billet (30%) are the dominant products. As the “Gateway to East Africa” and a transshipment hub, Djibouti itself lacks large-scale consumption capacity. This surge is essentially because repeated Red Sea tensions caused large vessels to unload and transship directly in the Mediterranean or south of the Suez Canal, with Djibouti serving as a safe transit point serving East African inland infrastructure projects such as Ethiopia, or shipping onward via smaller vessels to North Africa. As a global shipping and trade settlement center, Singapore saw an increase of 290,000 mt, mainly due to centralized procurement and trade settlement by ASEAN and Chinese-invested construction projects in Singapore, which provided marginal support for China’s exports of bars, wire rods, and other infrastructure-related finished steel products. The UAE dropped 870,000 mt, and Saudi Arabia dropped 450,000 mt. This was primarily due to geopolitical uncertainties in the Middle East, compounded by excessive stockpiling by major Middle Eastern buyers earlier to avoid logistics risks, pushing the Middle East market into a defensive cycle of destocking and slower purchasing. Data Source: SMM, General Administration of Customs Outlook: SMM’s April orders remain at a high level, and May exports are still expected to see increases. According to SMM’s steel export order data, affected by holidays, steel export orders in April dipped slightly by 0.57% MoM from March. However, it is also learned that shipping to the Middle East is gradually recovering, and orders for slabs destined for Southeast Asia saw a significant increase in April. Taking all factors into consideration—with the new export orders index re-entering expansion territory, the export price advantage still significant, and export order performance excellent—SMM expects that China’s steel exports in May will still see growth, with steel billet continuing to play a dominant role. Data Source: SMM Copyright and Intellectual Property Statement: This report is independently created or compiled by SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "SMM"), and SMM legally enjoys complete copyright and related intellectual property rights. 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【SMM Steel】Taiwan's CSC is advising downstream customers to submit orders early for production planning as multiple facilities begin scheduled maintenance starting June. The schedule includes a 15-day shutdown at wire rod mill No.2 from June 26 to July 10, and a 24-day maintenance at the billet factory from June 11 to July 4. Bar mill No.2 will assist with rolling during the wire rod shutdown, and billets needed for deliveries before mid-July are already prepared. This marks CSC's third consecutive year of summer intensive maintenance to prepare capacity for H2 auto and construction demand.