Nippon Steel&Sumitomo Metal Corp announced Dec 12 that the company has decided to keep its domestic sales prices unchanged of H-beams in its December supply contracts with domestic wholesalers for store sales.The decision is intended to get the current sales prices to take hold.

NSSM is contemplating limiting its H-beam order intakes and H-beam production to practical minimums to meet actual demand so that the company can execute another price increase of H-beams in January next year.

In November,NSSM voiced its intention of struggling to achieve an early correction of H beam prices with a price increase of JPY 5,000 per tonne or over,thereby securing profit margins to permit reproduction.For starters,the company executed a price increase of JPY 2,000 per tonne in its November supply contracts with domestic wholesalers for store sales.Also,the company intends to continue its endeavor toward a correction of sales prices in its H-beam supplies to end users.

As to H-beam production,NSSM is poised to continue operating the large-sized shape mill on a reduced shift at its Kimitsu works in December.Besides,the company shut down the shape mill at its Sakai works in November according to schedule.

Meanwhile,Nippon Steel&Sumikin Shapes Corp keeps unchanged what it charges for domestic sales of H-beams in December.The electric steelmaker is a subsidiary of NSSM.