In September, the prices of Inner Mongolia’s main industrial production materials generally showed a slight fluctuation trend. Among them, the price of steel fluctuated slightly, the prices of non-ferrous metals and chemical products were mixed, the price of cement dropped slightly, and the price of glass rose slightly. It is expected that in October, the prices of industrial production materials in Inner Mongolia will remain stable with slight fluctuations.
1. Price changes of major industrial production materials in the region
(1) Steel prices fluctuate slightly
In September, the overall supply and demand of the steel market in our region was stable, and prices were mainly stable. Among them, the comprehensive average prices of construction steel and ordinary plates in the region are 3927.50 yuan and 4392.65 yuan per ton respectively. Compared with August 2023 (hereinafter referred to as month-on-month), the price of construction steel fell by 0.59%, and the price of ordinary plates increased slightly by 0.26%; compared with September 2022 (hereinafter referred to as year-on-year), the prices of construction steel and ordinary plates decreased respectively 5.89%, 3.70%.
Among other steel varieties, the average prices of round steel (φ16mm, HPB235) and stainless steel plates (1.2, 304/2B cold rolled) in the region this month were 4,037.08 yuan and 17,625 yuan per ton respectively; month-on-month, round steel prices dropped. 1.41%, stainless steel plate prices increased by 1.68%; year-on-year prices fell by 7.23% and 5.37% respectively.
(2) Prices of non-ferrous metals fluctuated up and down
In September, the prices of various types of non-ferrous metals at the monitoring points in our district rose five times and fell once. Except for the price of nickel, which weakened slightly, other varieties increased to varying degrees. Specifically, the average sales prices of copper (1# electrolytic copper, cathode copper), aluminum (AOO aluminum ingot), and lead (1# lead ingot) in September were 69,973.33 yuan, 20,080.00 yuan, and 17,075.00 yuan per ton respectively. Month-on-month, the prices of copper, aluminum, and lead increased by 0.38%, 5.43%, and 3.46% respectively; year-on-year, the prices of copper, aluminum, and lead increased by 11.83%, 5.95%, and 10.46% respectively.
The average sales prices of zinc (0# zinc ingot), tin (1# tin ingot) and nickel (1#) in September were 22103.33 yuan per ton, 224208.33 yuan and 170283.33 yuan respectively. Month-on-month, zinc and tin prices increased by 3.97% and 0.28% respectively, while nickel prices fell by 2.06%. Year-on-year, tin prices increased by 17.90%, while zinc and nickel prices fell by 12.57% and 10.14% respectively.
(3) Prices of chemical products fluctuate up and down
In September, the average sales prices of high-pressure polyethylene (film grade) and polypropylene (drawn wire) were 11,200.00 yuan and 7,078.00 yuan per ton respectively. Month-on-month, the price of high-pressure polyethylene was flat, and the price of polypropylene increased by 6.42%; year-on-year, the price of high-pressure polyethylene was flat, and the price of polypropylene fell by 8.30%.
The average sales prices of polyvinyl chloride (produced by calcium carbide method) and fuel ethanol in September were 6,338.33 yuan and 6,000.00 yuan per ton respectively. Month-on-month, the price of polyvinyl chloride increased by 12.55%, and the price of fuel ethanol remained unchanged; year-on-year, the prices of polyvinyl chloride and fuel ethanol increased by 2.51% and 0.28% respectively.
The average sales prices of sulfuric acid (98% acid) and soda ash (industrial alkali content ≥98.5%) in September were 737.50 yuan and 2133.33 yuan per ton respectively. Month-on-month, the price of sulfuric acid remained flat and the price of soda ash fell by 7.25%. Year-on-year, the price of sulfuric acid remained flat and the price of soda ash fell by 7.25%.
(4) Glass prices rose slightly and cement prices dropped slightly
In September, the average sales price of three types of Portland cement in the region was 390.48 yuan/ton, a month-on-month price decrease of 0.45%, and a year-on-year price decrease of 4.47%.
The average prices of 5mm float flat glass and 5mm tempered flat glass in September were 33.31 yuan and 45.64 yuan per square meter respectively. Month-on-month, the price of 5mm float flat glass and 5mm tempered flat glass increased by 0.82% and 1.24% respectively; year-on-year, the price of 5mm float flat glass increased by 3.42%, and the price of 5mm tempered flat glass fell by 2.50%.
2. Forecast of later price trends of some industrial production materials
(1) Steel
In October, the weather is crisp and clear, which is conducive to outdoor construction. Major projects are accelerated and the steel market is still in the traditional peak consumption season. At the same time, macro policies continue to be positive, local debt issuance reaches a new high, real estate policies continue to be relaxed, and terminal demand may increase slightly. pick up. On the supply side, although the price of raw materials remains high, the blast furnace operating rate is still running at a high level. Under the dual effects of relatively stable production and supply and a rebound in demand, it is expected that steel prices in our region will show a moderate upward trend in October.
(2) Non-ferrous metals
On the macro level, the state issued the "Work Plan for Stable Growth of the Non-ferrous Metal Industry", which aims to maintain steady growth in the output of major non-ferrous metal products such as copper and aluminum, with the output of ten non-ferrous metals growing at an average annual rate of about 5%. Favorable policies continue to promote the recovery of market demand, especially the demand for photovoltaics, new energy, electricity, and automobiles. The new energy passenger vehicle market retailed 746,000 units in September, a year-on-year increase of 22.1%, highlighting the resilience of the domestic economy. Taken together, in October, the resilience of terminal consumption and low inventory drove the price fluctuations of nonferrous metals upward.