[SMM Malaysia Weekly Review] Rebar Offer Extend Gains While HRC and Wire Rod Hold Steady; Import Price Advantage Narrows

Malaysia's steel market maintained a mixed but relatively firm pricing trend this week, with domestic rebar quotations extending their upward movement while HRC and wire rod prices remained unchanged. Domestic HRC offers held steady at MYR 2,220/tonne EXW, unchanged from October 7. Meanwhile, 16mm B500B rebar quotations increased by MYR 20/tonne to MYR 2,250/tonne EXW, although the latest observations involved different suppliers and may not represent a direct price adjustment by the same mill. C12D wire rod prices remained stable at MYR 2,300/tonne delivered. Despite the continued strength in rebar quotations, downstream purchasing remained cautious. Based on previous stockist feedback indicating discounts of MYR 20–30/tonne against mill reference prices, an indicative stockist selling range of MYR 2,220–2,230/tonne could be inferred if similar discounts persist. However, this remains a theoretical estimate rather than a confirmed transaction range, highlighting the need to distinguish firmer mill quotations from actual market acceptance.

On the import front, Chinese HRC offers remained at approximately USD 520–530/tonne CFR Port Klang, equivalent to MYR 2,125–2,166/tonne using the retained exchange rate of MYR 4.0862/USD. This represents an initial MYR 54–95/tonne discount against domestic HRC ex-works quotations. Meanwhile, Indonesian Dexin wire rod offers increased by USD 5/tonne week on week to approximately USD 530/tonne CFR Malaysia, equivalent to MYR 2,166/tonne. The preliminary gap against domestic delivered wire rod prices consequently narrowed from approximately MYR 155/tonne to MYR 134/tonne. Although imported material continues to show a nominal price advantage, the comparison excludes port handling charges, applicable taxes, customs clearance and inland transportation costs, which could substantially reduce the actual savings for downstream buyers.

Looking ahead, Malaysia's domestic steel quotations are expected to remain stable to slightly firm, supported by the recent upward movement in rebar offers. However, subdued downstream demand and potential stockist inventory pressure may continue to limit further increases. Meanwhile, the narrowing price gap for Indonesian wire rod could influence purchasing decisions, particularly among steel mesh manufacturers evaluating imported alternatives. Market participants will continue monitoring actual transaction prices, inventory movements and fully landed import costs to assess whether the recent strength in domestic quotations can be sustained.