[SMM Iron & Steel] South Korea Urges EU to Maintain Fair TRQ Allocations for Korean Steelmakers

The most-traded HRC contract fluctuated downward today, closing at 3,358, down 0.33% MoM. Spot sheets & plates fell 10-20 yuan/mt MoM, while some markets held steady. Supply side, hot rolling maintenance impact eased this week, weekly production rose 10,500 mt MoM, and supply pressure remains on a short-term uptrend. Demand side, the late-session decline weighed on market sentiment, with end-users buying at low prices and speculative demand weakening. Cost side, the spot market for coking coal and coke remained in a tight supply-demand balance. The sixth round of coke price increases was implemented, and futures prices are currently in the process of repairing losses. There are market talks of a seventh round of increases on the 12th, and cost support remains in place. In summary, based on HRC social inventory data, east China and south China markets saw MoM inventory buildup, while northeast, north China, and central China markets saw MoM destocking. No obvious supply-demand imbalance has emerged yet. However, as the off-season deepens, imbalances will continue to build. The market is expected to remain rangebound in the short term. Keep monitoring disturbances from the raw material side.

On June 11, Shagang issued its EXW price for early June, with rebar and wire rod prices remaining stable. Current rebar price is 3400, coiled rebar price is 3530. All prices are tax-inclusive, effective from June 11, 2026. [SMM Steel]

【SMM Steel】Atlas Tube, a Zekelman company, has agreed to form a joint venture with Maruichi USA combining their North American steel tube operations under Atlas Tube’s management. The JV is expected to be finalized in late June 2026. Zekelman has 17 manufacturing locations across North America with over 3200 employees and 3.3 million tonnes of annual capacity. Maruichi USA operates six facilities across the US and Mexico serving automotive construction and infrastructure sectors. Maruichi Leavitt Pipe & Tube has over 65 years of manufacturing history producing ASTM A500 A513 A53 and JIS G3445 specifications.