The global high-end steel supply may have been the earthquake in Japan "shock" out of the "big hole."

Yesterday, Wuhan Iron and Steel Co., Ltd., Baoshan Iron and Steel Co., Ltd., Xinyu Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd., Anshan Iron and Steel Group, Shougang Group and other Chinese steel mills are said, is currently closely watching the Japanese mills suffered damage in the earthquake, Steel market impact.

"Japan's foreign exports of steel is mainly high-end products." Xinyu Iron and Steel Vice Chairman Wang Hong said that the company's main export varieties of steel is a marine steel plate, the current company or planned (orders) exports, but will pay close attention to foreign market conditions.

"Gap" mainly in high-end steel

According to data, Japan's steel industry ranked second in the world, 2010, crude steel production of 109 million tons, second only to China. Japan is also the world's largest steel exporter. In the 9.0 earthquake occurred in northeastern Japan, Japan's industrial powerhouse, focused on steel, automobile, petrochemical and other pillar industries.

China's well-known steel information agency on March 14 to provide the latest assessment report, the Japanese earthquake has directly affected the three major steel plants in Japan about 26 million tons of crude steel production capacity (which is equivalent to Japan in 2010 110 million tons of steel production 20%) , The most influential steel varieties for the plate and plate, mainly for the automotive and shipbuilding industry; followed by wire, mainly for the automotive and construction industry; stainless steel, profiles and steel pipe production capacity has also been affected.

China Logistics and Purchasing Federation Steel Logistics Professional Committee Deputy Secretary-General Sheng Zhicheng to provide a set of data show that Japan exported about 43 million tons of steel in 2010, steel exports accounted for about 45% of its output, of which about 7.8 million tons of special steel.

Sheng Zhicheng said that the main export of Japanese steel for South Korea, China and other parts of Asia, export varieties are mainly hot rolled, galvanized sheet, cold rolled, plate, welded pipe, electrical steel and stainless steel, these steel is mainly used for automobiles, And shipbuilding and other industries. Obviously, the product variety is high-end steel.

"Recent steel exports in Japan will be reduced, including China, including neighboring countries, steel exports will increase." Analysts said.

Guoxin Securities analyst Zheng Dong pointed out in the research report, the earthquake will directly affect the export of high-end steel in Japan, which will be China's high-end sheet metal production enterprises to form a positive, "such as Baosteel and Wuhan Iron and Steel.

After the earthquake in Japan, many domestic steel mills have been closely watching the impact of several major steel mills in Japan. Some domestic steel enterprises to the Post reporter said, is studying the Japanese earthquake after the steel supply "gap" response policy.

"Yesterday, Baosteel Securities Securities Representative Yu Hong told the Post reporter, from the current domestic steel spot prices to the domestic steel prices, but also to the outside of the actual export of steel mills in Japan to be a more accurate assessment. See, in general, relatively stable, no big fluctuations.

Analysts said that if the Japanese exports shrinking, Baosteel and Wuhan Iron and Steel have the opportunity in the next three to six months to improve China's high-end steel sales market share.

Can Chinese steel mills seize the opportunity?

Yesterday, the domestic steel mills during the price adjustment period, Baosteel yesterday, followed by Wuhan Iron and Steel shares issued a steel policy in April, the main varieties out of the "flat", it is noteworthy that, with the Wuhan Iron and Steel shares, Baosteel will be oriented to electrical Steel per ton (also known as oriented silicon steel) prices increased by 1,000 yuan.

It is clear that the orientation of silicon steel as one of the high-end steel varieties, despite the Japanese earthquake produced a supply of "gap", but similar high-end steel products in China can "fill"? Yesterday, many analysts expressed concern that China High-end steel exports may not be significantly increased.

Yesterday quoted official data that China exported 810,000 tons of steel to Japan last year, accounting for only 2% of China's total annual steel exports.

In the assessment report, it is expected that Japan will be required to stop at least 6 months by this earthquake, reducing the production of 2.5 million tons of steel per month, about 30% of normal production, the cumulative minimum reduction of 15 million tons.

Hu Yanping analysis said that because of China's steel enterprises in the high-end steel competitiveness is weak, high-end exports difficult to increase significantly, but the end products such as hot-rolled, medium and galvanized, Cai Tu export opportunities will increase.

In this regard, Sheng Zhicheng said that in the cold-rolled wide strip, hot-rolled strip steel, galvanized steel, China has a certain alternative, because China's domestic production is not small, but similar to 7.8 million tons of steel, it is estimated Difficult, because China itself also rely on imports.

Wang Hong also agreed that the Chinese steel mills want to export a large number of high-end steel, the threshold is still relatively high, and China's current consumption is relatively large or ordinary steel, such as construction steel.

"Japan earthquake on the ordinary steel market is not an important factor, but for some relatively high-end steel, especially for those who have high export tax rebate, is to stabilize or improve the current steel prices." Wang said, Depends on the impact of the Japanese earthquake on the production capacity of Japanese steel mills, because the Japanese steel mills are scattered, the most severe northeastern is not the main steel production, mainly in the Osaka industrial area this.

In addition, Wuhan Iron and Steel shares Deputy Secretary Zhou staff also said that the earthquake in Japan is estimated that the steel industry is largely a psychological impact.