Recently, the Tianjin Stainless Steel Association Xing Zhongying in an interview with "China Metallurgical News" reporter said that the stainless steel market this year, had a name of the "golden three silver four", March and April stainless steel market overall decline. Nickel market rebounded in early May failed to continue, May 3 prices fell slightly, the end of three consecutive gains, the stainless steel market cautious atmosphere. At present, some steel mills are still in the shutdown maintenance phase, there is no large-scale procurement operations, the price of stainless steel is relatively limited, is expected to late stainless steel market will be a narrow range of consolidation. The main basis is as follows:

First, the price of nickel prices fell overall. In April, the nickel price continued in March, down 585 US dollars / ton, down 5.84%. Nickel spot prices to follow the trend of nickel fell, by the end of April, Jinchuan factory price chain by the end of March, the cumulative decline of 4,000 yuan / ton, down 4.79%.

Second, nickel iron, high nickel iron, high carbon ferrochrome, waste stainless steel and other raw materials as a whole to drop the main. April nickel-iron price chain in March fell 4.59%, due to April factory production is more obvious, is expected to stabilize the recent nickel-iron market. In April, the domestic high-carbon ferrochrome market prices fell sharply in March chain. At present, the main producing areas of high-carbon ferrochromium factory price of 9200 yuan / ton ~ 9400 yuan / ton, the market price of 9400 yuan / ton up and down, compared with the end of March down 1,100 yuan / ton.

Recently, the domestic large-scale stainless steel plant high-carbon ferrochrome purchase price began to enter the market inquiry, but the mainstream steel procurement policy has not yet introduced, according to the current high carbon ferrochrome market weak state, it is estimated that in May steel mills purchase price will be reduced. In April, the price of waste stainless steel as a whole to the main, most of the current business to maintain pessimism, is expected to continue to remain weak in the latter part of the price. In summary, the overall price of stainless steel raw materials to fall mainly on the stainless steel market support decreased.

Third, the steel industry PMI (purchasing managers index) index fell. April, the steel industry PMI index of 47.4%, the chain fell 3.5 percentage points, into the contraction interval. From the sub-index analysis, constitute the steel industry PMI 10 index index are down. Sub-index shows that steel trade sales to reduce the downstream orders to reduce the market confidence in the decline in procurement intentions weakened. April sales index was 44.3%, the chain fell 4.8 percentage points in March. This shows that the sales of steel enterprises to reduce the flow of steel market transactions decline in activity. In addition, the April order index was 44.0%, the chain fell 4.4 percentage points in March, indicating that the demand for steel terminals weakened. Among them, the domestic order index was 43.9%, compared with the fall of 4.6 percentage points in March. Data show that in April steel trade enterprises from domestic users to reduce orders, including direct supply orders index was 43.2%, the chain fell 4.6 percentage points, indicating that the downstream end-user demand weakened.

Fourth, the stainless steel market prices fell. April 26, the country's major cities 304 / 2B cold-rolled coil prices fell 50 yuan / ton, fell to 300 yuan / ton. 304 welded pipe from the beginning of April at the end of April 2350 yuan / ton, down 350 yuan / ton, down from the beginning of April at the end of April 2350 yuan / ton, down 350 yuan / ton, /Ton. In addition, the stainless steel prices fell in May, such as the introduction of Ningbo Bao new May price, 304 stainless steel prices fell 1,500 yuan / ton; 304 / 2B stainless steel prices down 1,500 yuan / ton, offer 15,500 yuan / ton; 430 / 2B stainless steel prices down 400 yuan / ton, offer 9900 yuan / ton; 409L / 2B stainless steel prices down 500 yuan / ton, offer 9700 yuan / ton.