Tangshan Billet Prices Rise 50 Yuan/Tonne as Coke Costs Increase
Q235 billet prices in Tangshan rose to Yuan 2,990 per tonne EXW on August 23 as input costs increased, while stronger re-roller consumption reduced commercial inventories even as local mills continued to incur losses on billet sales.
By Carolina Curiel
Published August 26, 2026
Key Points
- Tangshan Q235 150mm square billet rose Yuan 50 per tonne on the week to Yuan 2,990/t EXW, including 13% VAT, as of August 23.
- Billet sales and exports from 21 monitored mills averaged 32,000 tonnes/day during August 14–20, up 1.6% on the week.
- Billet consumption among 34 re-rollers averaged 42,600 tonnes/day during August 13–19, rising 4.9% week on week.
- Commercial billet inventories fell 1.9% to 1.5 million tonnes, while stocks held by re-rollers increased 5.5% to 796,000 tonnes.
- Domestic coke producers sought another Yuan 100–110/t price increase effective August 26.
Billet prices in Tangshan in North China's Hebei province posted moderate gains during August 17–23 on the back of elevated input costs. Mysteel assessed Q235 150mm square billet in the city at Yuan 2,990 per tonne EXW, including 13% VAT, on August 23, up Yuan 50/t ($7.4/t) from the previous week.
Higher Coke Costs Support Billet Prices
Semi-finished steel prices began climbing from last Thursday through Saturday on market speculation that major local steelmakers would agree to pay Yuan 50–55/t more for metallurgical coke, as demanded by independent coke producers, according to the report.
Nonetheless, the uptick in billet prices was described as a passive response to mounting costs. Tangshan mills were still incurring losses on billet sales, Mysteel Global noted.
As a result, most steel mills in the city continued to focus on finished steel production during the week because those sales generated smaller losses than billets.
The daily tonnage of billets sold or exported in Tangshan and surrounding regions by the 21 local steel mills monitored by Mysteel averaged 32,000 tonnes/day during August 14–20, up 1.6%, or 500 t/d, from the previous week.
Re-Roller Consumption Rises as Mills Restart
Billet consumption by local re-rollers also increased modestly as some rolling mills restarted following maintenance.
Daily consumption among the 34 re-rollers covered by Mysteel averaged 42,600 t/d during August 13–19, up 4.9%, or 2,000 t/d, from the previous week.
The increase in consumption prompted re-rollers to continue replenishing billet stocks as needed.
Billet inventories held at the three commercial warehouses and two ports in Tangshan monitored by Mysteel totaled 1.5 million tonnes as of August 20, down 1.9%, or 29,200 tonnes, from the previous week.
At the same time, billet stocks held by the 34 re-rollers continued to increase, reaching 796,000 tonnes as of August 19. That represented a week-on-week increase of 5.5%, or 41,500 tonnes.
Coke Producers Seek Larger Price Increase
Tangshan billet prices are expected to maintain upward momentum this week, supported by strengthening cost support and recovering market fundamentals, according to a Mysteel analyst.
On August 24, major domestic coke producers issued another price-increase request to steelmakers, seeking a larger Yuan 100–110/t increase effective August 26, according to market sources.
Demand for semi-finished steel is expected to remain broadly steady week on week. However, the resumption of rolling mills at some Tangshan steelmakers could reduce billet availability and provide additional price support, the analyst suggested.
Source:Mysteel Global