International Steel Prices
January 15, 2021
CRU: Chinese Policies Boost Global Sheet Prices
Written by Josh Spoores
By Josh Spoores, from CRU’s Steel Sheet Products Monitor
One year ago, the title of our May Steel Sheet Products Monitor was “Global sheet markets move past bottom of demand cycle.” Today, global sheet consumption continues to rise, reaching levels where current global production cannot keep pace. In addition to the continued demand rebound from lows seen just over a year ago, most end-use sectors require higher inventory levels to accommodate this demand environment. While some portion of demand gains reflect inventory building, it is not yet clear how much, if any, inventory has been built through the global supply chain.
