Report Period: June 10-17, 2026 | Coverage: South Korea & Japan
This free sample offers a curated look at this week’s most market‑moving events and data. Subscribers receive the full report, including complete price tables for all eight steel products, the expanded anti‑dumping alternative‑sourcing matrix with specification details, landed‑cost sensitivity reference, a comprehensive week‑on‑week deep dive, and the enhanced market structure section — everything you need to navigate the new trade architecture.
📌 Sample Core Insights
📌 Korea Coated CRC Provisional AD Takes Effect — ⚠️
Effective June 12, duties of 22.34–33.67% are now live on Chinese GI, GL, and ZAM coated steel for four months. Electro‑galvanized and galvannealed products remain entirely duty‑free. Chinese coated CRC exports to Korea face an immediate cost increase of $120–200/t. [KCS, June 12]
📌 China HRC Export Prices Correct After Failed Price Push — ▼
Mill offers collapsed from an aspirational $505–540/t FOB** range to actual transaction levels of **$495–504/t FOB. Buyers rejected the attempted rally, forcing mills back to realistic pricing. Rebar also fell sharply, down $13–28/t. [SMM, Mysteel, June 10–12]
📌 Tokyo Steel Announces July Price Hike — ▲
HRC will rise ¥2,000/t ($12/t)** to **¥100,000/t ($624/t) for July delivery. Rebar will increase ¥3,000/t ($19/t)** to **¥93,000/t ($581/t) . This marks the first broad increase in two months and the third full‑product hike of 2026, driven by sustained scrap and energy cost pressure. [Tokyo Steel, June 16]
📌 Iran Lifts Slab and Flat Steel Export Ban — ✅
Temporary export restrictions on slabs, HRC, CRC, galvanized, coated, painted sheet, and steel strip expired on May 30 without extension. Iranian semi‑finished steel can now re‑enter global markets, adding potential supply to Asian billet and slab markets. [Multiple sources, mid‑June]
📌 KRW Touches 1,560 — Highest Since Asian Financial Crisis — ▼
The won briefly hit 1,560 during the week before closing at 1,508.30 on June 17. The sustained depreciation since early May has added an estimated $25–35/t to landed import costs for Korean buyers. [Yonhap Infomax]
💰 Sample Price & Change Comparison (Partial View)
| Product | Market | This Week (Jun 10–17) | WoW Change (vs Jun 3–10) | Primary Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HRC (SS400) | China FOB | $495–504/t ▼ | –$10–36/t from high offers | Failed mill price push |
| Billet (150mm) | China FOB | $470–474/t ▶ | Stable | Korean pre‑EAF buying |
| CRC (SPCC 1.0mm) | China FOB | $570–572/t ▲ | +$20–42/t | Rebound after oversold |
| HRC (Tokyo Steel) | Japan | ¥100,000/t ▲ (July) | +¥2,000/t | Scrap and energy cost pass‑through |
| H2 Scrap (Kanto tender) | Japan | ¥54,506/t FAS ▼ | –¥294/t (–0.2%) | Second monthly decline; rally cooling |
| KRW/USD | Seoul FX | 1,508–1,560 ▼ | –0.7% closing; spike to 1,560 | Dovish BOK, dollar strength |
Subscribers receive complete tables for all eight products across China, Korea, and Japan, with precise weekly, monthly, and yearly changes.
🛡️ Sample Policy & Supply Chain Update (Excerpt)
Korea’s Coated Steel AD Wall Is Now Fully Operational
The June 12 deadline has passed. Chinese GI, GL, and ZAM imports into Korea now carry duties of 22.34–33.67%. The traders’ emergency shipment window is closed. The only duty‑free path for Chinese coated steel is through EG and GA grades — products that many buyers can use, but not all. The report’s expanded alternative‑sourcing matrix maps exactly which Korean domestic mills and Japanese suppliers can fill the gap for each specification.
Iran Re‑Enters the Global Steel Market
After months of forced absence, Iranian semi‑finished and flat steel is now eligible for export again. While physical volumes will take weeks to reach Asian ports, the mere lifting of the ban is already reshaping market psychology. Billet and slab buyers are recalibrating their sourcing strategies, and the report’s landed‑cost sensitivity tables show how a 5–10% influx of Iranian material could compress Asian semi‑finished premiums.
Busan Recovery Incomplete — Costs Remain Elevated
The triple strike may be over, but the aftermath persists. Container yard density remains at 85%, dwell times are above seasonal norms, and surveyed exporters report lasting damage to profitability. Steel shipments through Busan still require buffer time, and the report advises which alternative ports are currently offering the most reliable throughput.
💡 Sample Actionable Advice (Preview)
| For Procurement Managers | For Export Sales Managers |
|---|---|
| ✅ Lock in HRC at $495–504/t FOB. The failed price push and stable cost floor limit further downside. KRW weakness makes every delay costlier. | ✅ Accept HRC deals at $490–505/t FOB. The rally attempt above $510 failed; volume is more valuable than price right now. |
| ⚠️ Switch coated CRC procurement to EG/GA immediately. The AD duties are live and GI/GL/ZAM imports are now uncompetitive. | ⚠️ Promote EG/GA products aggressively to Korean buyers. Duty‑free access is a multi‑month competitive advantage. |
The full report contains six tailored action items for each audience, with specific rationales, target markets, and implementation timelines.
📥 Get the Full Report
This free sample is only a fraction of the intelligence delivered each week. Subscribers to the Northeast Asia Steel Weekly Report receive:
- 8 product price tables (billet, rebar, HRC, CRC, HDG, carbon steel pipe, stainless steel, CRGO) with FOB, domestic, and import parity data for China, Korea, and Japan.
- Week‑on‑week and month‑on‑month comparisons to track market direction with precision.
- Import viability assessments with landed cost calculations under Korea’s price undertaking mechanism vs. full AD duties — and now Japan’s new AD investigations.
- Critical Dates & Deadlines calendar — a centralized timeline of all upcoming policy, trade, and production events.
- AD Alternative‑Sourcing Matrix — which products are blocked, which remain duty‑free, and exactly which mills can supply which grades under which standards.
- Landed‑Cost Sensitivity Reference — how FOB, freight, FX, and war risk premium moves impact your all‑in cost.
- Raw‑Material Substitution Tracker — the scrap‑billet cost spread, POSCO EAF ramp‑up impact, and Kanto tender trends.
- Market structure deep dive by product: market size, growth drivers, local competitiveness, import dependency, and competitive positioning.
- Forward‑looking price forecast for the coming week with three supporting arguments and one key downside risk.
- Full week‑on‑week deep dive analysis across seven dimensions: price trends, policy, FX, logistics, sentiment, new data, and overall trajectory.
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Contact Amy directly at amy@amyinsights.com