The supply of stainless steel scrap in the market is tight, and prices are running firm [SMM Weekly Review of Stainless Steel Scrap Market]

Published: Jul 11, 2025 15:55

Save

This week, the price of 304 stainless steel scrap off-cuts in east China remained stable, at 9,300-9,400 yuan/mt; in Foshan, the price of 304 stainless steel scrap off-cuts dropped slightly, to 9,150-9,450 yuan/mt. Currently, calculating by raw material, the production cost of stainless steel produced entirely from stainless steel scrap is approximately 13,061.84 yuan/mt, while the production cost of stainless steel produced entirely from high-grade NPI is approximately 13,005.59 yuan/mt. This week, a steel mill in south China did not update its procurement price for stainless steel scrap.

This week, the price of high-grade NPI continued its downward trend from the previous period. However, the spot price of stainless steel finished products rose slightly, driven by the stop falling and rebound in the futures market. The price of stainless steel scrap remained firm, with overall stability and minor local adjustments. Currently, the shortage of stainless steel scrap supply persists, and traders' reluctance to sell at lower prices remains strong. Driven by the rebound in stainless steel finished product prices, the market's expectation for stainless steel scrap prices to rise has intensified. With the pullback in high-grade NPI prices, the economic disadvantage of stainless steel scrap has become more pronounced. Overall, the current price of stainless steel finished products shows a strengthening trend, coupled with the tight supply of stainless steel scrap, and the price of stainless steel scrap remains firm.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM‘s internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or to learn more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

22 hours ago

Before the holiday, the black chain is unlikely to see a trend-driven market [SMM Steel Industry Chain Weekly Report].

This week, ferrous metals were in the doldrums, with coking coal and coke staging a mid-week rise. At the beginning of the week, financial markets experienced sharp fluctuations, dragging down sentiment in the ferrous chain and leading to a pullback in futures. Mid-week, Indonesia's cut to coke production quotas drove coking coal and coke futures to lead the gains, though the impact was more pronounced on thermal coal, while coking coal's rise was largely sentiment-driven and short-lived. In the latter part of the week, finished products continued their seasonal inventory buildup, and support from the raw material side weakened, causing the entire ferrous chain to pull back. In the spot market, with the Chinese New Year holiday approaching, purchasing activity slowed down further, with end-users only making limited, as-needed purchases at low prices.

22 hours ago

MMi Daily Iron Ore Report (February 6)

Today, the DCE iron ore futures continued to hit bottom today, with the most-traded contract I2605 closing at 760.5 yuan/mt, down 1.23% from the previous trading day. Spot prices fell by 5–10 yuan/mt compared to the previous trading day.

22 hours ago

[SMM Chromium Daily Review] Inquiries and Transactions Weakened, Chromium Market Showed Mediocre Performance Before the Holiday

[SMM Chrome Daily Review: Trading and Inquiries Weakened, Chrome Market Showed Mediocre Performance Before the Holiday] February 6, 2026: Today, the ex-factory price of high-carbon ferrochrome in Inner Mongolia was 8,500-8,600 yuan/mt (50% metal content), flat MoM from the previous trading day...

22 hours ago